Milford chronicle., 1906-05-11


to San Francisco to rescue their
friends. Then the reports came in aw-
fully monotonous regularity: Fla~Hs
spreading. Buildings being dynamited
to stop onward progress Of conhagra-
ton General Funston forbids any one
to land in the city. Water famine
threatened All wholesale houses de-
stroyed. Hunger and famine staring
the people in the face. People dying
in the streets from exhaustion and
starvation Napa insane asylum de-
str0yed. Stanford university buildings
down San Jose a wreck" Then. as
wallng cry. came the telegrams from
Oakland. from the mayor and the gov
ernor: "Helpl Help, Give us help!
San Francisco is starvingl Helpl
Helpr
Then the revolving wheels Of the
railroad trains come rumblng into our
depots aud the passengers alight.
These. are the first refugees from the
city of death. Were the stories over
drawn?" we ask NO. noW they an
swer. Tell us about your expert
ence." we We're asleep. Suddenly.
In the morning. we were flung from
the bed. The earth felt like a mouse
that a rat terrier had gripped by the
neck shaking the life out of it. and
then dropped for dead. Then the
streets were filed with men and wOm-
en- and children in their night robes.
Some were praying, some shrieking,
some muttering like madmen. The
walls began to totter aud to fall.
BUILDINGS which had not been over
thrown became blazing furnaces At
one time the flames leaped out Of ev-
cry window of the Palace hotel The
top stories Of the different buildings in
many Instances seemed to catch fire
first. Then men and women started
to run for the ferryboats. 1t was not
q struggle to save property, but a mad
race for life"
Oh. why should we go on and de-
scribe this horror2 In all the history of
the world there never was a more
CHASTITY tragedy. The battlefelds Of
Gettysburgand Waterloo were tragedies
of men only and had not the pathos Of
diving women and children, as had this
pandemOnium of furies. And yet, amid
the heavy, rocking earth, amid the
kissing, leaping flames, amid the lurid
skies and the starving and the dead.
we can today find some gospel lesson
for practical use for everyday life.
May God help US to say the right word
and say it in the right way!
Judge Not.
Let us beware, in the first place, lest
we attempt to handle the lightnings Of
Gods wrath. Let us halt before we
pass Judgment upon the past sins of
this great city. The Bible says, Judge
not that We be not judged" But in
spite of this divine command to Judge
not there are people who are ready
to affirm that the reason why this trag-
edy was permitted to Overtake the
metropolis Of the Pacific was because
San Francisco was city fostering and
reeking with sin. Why, no sooner was
this awful tragedy reported over the
wires than one of the prominent news
papers of this city called me up and
asked whether l believed that San
Francisco was destroyed. like Sodom
and GOmorrah, on account of its sins
replied then as ] reply now. ANY
man who would make a statement that
he thought San Francisco was de-
stroyed on account of its sins is unfit to
be a religious teacher and unfit to be
quoted in any newspaper article" As
the ancient prophet found, as he shud-
dered at the earthquake in his day,
God was not in the earthquake. And
after the earthquake fire, but the
Lord was not in. the fire. And after
the fire a still small voice. In that he
heard the voice of the Lord.
Do you think John Milton became
blind on account OF his sins? Do you
think Abraham Lincoln and James A.
Garfield and William Mckinley were
on account Of their sins2
Do you believe Mrs. Mckinley lost her
two little children and became a life
long invalid on account of her sins2
Do you think Alexander II. Stephens
lived for seventy years in pain and
agony on account of his sins? Do you
believe that the gentle and pure Helen
Keller. from two years of age, has been
blind and deaf and dumb on account
of her sins? Was your little sister
wicked whose light fluffy dress caught
fire many years ago. so that she was
burned to death before your very eyes2
We're those missionaries who were
tortured and killed in the Boxer upris- !
ing of China some years ago murdered |
on account of their sins? Then, If they |
were. you might have right to say |
that this tragedy came to San Fran
cisco on account of its sins; but, If not, |
YOU have not the slightest reason for |
affirming that the earthquake came as |
a Judgment of God. If San Francisco, |
why not New York and Chicago and |
st. Louis and London on account Of |
their sins? Is there any large city in
this land which would be justified in
casting a stone at the metropolis of the
Pacific coast2