Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1907-08-16


brave women crying like babies.
Mereiless Death.
I have often stood in the presence o.
death, and never did I witness death
so merciless and cruel as on that sad
sad day. What is the actual extent OF
the catastrophe I know not But al
the present writing I have been told
that there were at least 105 lost of the
225 souls which the Columbia carried
on board. God pity the broken hearts
of that nights awful work. God pity
the children who have been bereft OF
their parents love and care. God pity
the wrecked homes and the wrecked
lives!
As a pastor and Christian teacher !
learned many gospel lessons from this
| heartrending tragedy. Heroic deeds Of
self sacrifice We're revealed on every
hand. With but one or two exceptions
it did not seem to me as though there
was coward or a mean and CON
temptible soul among all the three
crews and passengers of the San Pc
dro the Columbia and the George W.
Elder, who met in such close and holy
association on that fatal day. l have
heard some people declare that this is a
mean and contemplate world. but il
such cynics had only been standing
with me on the deck of that rescuine
steamer on July 20 they would have
had their faith in God and in mankind
renewed or inspired with a flaming en-
thusiagm
That noble heroism with the first cali
Of danger was revealed in the conduct
of the commander of the i'll fated
steamer Columbia. Captain p. r. Do
ran, now of blessed memory. 1t would
have been a very easy matter for him
to have saved himself. But he went
to the captains bridge and stood there.
He ordered all the lifeboats to be low
cred. Then, while he babe others save
themselves, he himself with his own
hand rang the danger signals While
he was ringing those signals he seemed
to be calling: MY passengers and
crew, save yourselves! Some one must
die 10 warn you am willing, Save
yourselves! Save yourselves" What
glorious death he died! What a bless
ed heritage he has given to his dear
onesl For all time his name will be
emblazoned upon the honor list Of
those who have given their lives in or
der that their fellow men might live.
a Woman's Courage.
The captains heroism found its
counterpart in the life Of many a hum
bic passenger and sailer.-in how
many only the great 6onor book of
heaven shall ever record. I heard of
one woman who dill not know how to
swim She had life preserver on
and could therefore keep afloat. While
the boat was coming to get her she
grasped Two women's skirts and clutch
ed them in her teeth. Then with her
right hand she reached out and caught
a sinking man. When the sailors pull
ed her into the boat she, with her wo-
mans courage. had saved three human
lives. This heroism was sometimes
found in the most unexpected places.
After all the survivors had been
brought on board the George w. Elder
a young girl came and sat by my side.
Her whole life seemed to have been
that of a frivolous social butterfly. She
laughed and joked. said to myself,
"How can any one make light of this
horror" Yet a short time afterward
a gentleman told me that this young
girl, who seemed to be out Of PLACE ex-
cept as a creature of fun, was so brave
that at the risk of her life she had
reached out of the boat and with her
own frail hands drawn a drowning
man over the cunwale and saved him.
Oh. do not tell me that this is a mean
and selfish world! 1t is a world filed
with heroes and heroines when a hui
man life is standing face to face with
death. If you had been on that toss
ing. tumbling sea to the south Of Cape
Mendocino when the Columbia sank
YOU would have known it.
But another fact which impressed me
on that fatal day was the realization
that those who truly suffer the worst
suffer in absolute quietude. 1t is only
the shallow brook that gurgles and
splashes and makes a noise. The deep
waters of trouble, like great river, |
roll quietly and smoothly. Oh, the
profound, the gloomy silence and yet
the overpowering sorrow Of that sad |
line of haunting faces Of the ship
wrecked passengers and crews lying
in the berths Of the George W. Elder
after they reached the lescuing ship!
Suffered In Silence.
I went to many of these berths and |
heard nearly everywhere the same
kind of gratitude. To one I would |
take clothes. for many of the sur
vivors had nothing; to others I would |
carry food: with others I would offer a |
prayer. "Have you lost any one"
asked a gentle lady whose young eyes
haunted me. Eyes; my baby" she an
swered. as your husband safer
mo" sne answered. 81 have no hus-