Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-15

tears running down their cheeks |;
brave women crying like babies.
Meroilsss Ceath.
/ have often stood in the presence Of
death, and never did 7 witness death
30 merciless and cruel as on that sad,
sad day. What is the actual extent Of
the catastrophe I know not. But at
the present writing have been told
that there were at least 1O5 lost Of the
225 souls which the Columbia carried
on board God pity the broken hearts
OF thai, nights awful work, God pity
the children who have been hereft of
their parents love and care! God pity
the wrecked homes and the wrecked
lives.
AS n pastor and Christian tenchcr |
learned many gospel lessons from this
heartrending tragedy. Heroic deeds Of
self sacrifice were revealed on every
hand. With but one or two exceptions
1t did not seem to me as though there
was n coward or n mean and con-
temptible soul among all the three
crews and passengers Of the San Pe-
dro, the Columbia and the George W.
Elder. who met in such close and holy
association on that fntai day. / have
heard some people declare that this Is q
mean and contemplate world. but IL
such cynics had only been standing
with me on the deck OF that rescuing
steamer Oh July 20 they would have
had their faith in God and in mankind
renewed or inspired with a flaming en-
thusiasm.
That noble hcrolsm with the first cali
Of danger was revealed in the conduct
of the commander of the i'll fated
steamer Columbia Captain +. r. DO
ran. now Of blessed memory. 1t would
have been very easy matter for him
to have saved himself. But he went
| to the captains bridge and stood there.
| lie ordered all the lifeboats to he low
cred. Then. while he Nade 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 to warn you. am willing. Save
yourselves. Save yourselves" What Il
glorious death he died. What a bless
ed heritage he has given to his dear
/ ones! For all time his name will he
! emblnzoned upon the honor list" of
those who have given their lives in or
der that their fellow men might live.
A Woman's Courage.
1,n In. -,
counterpart in the life Of many a hum
! bile passenger and sailor-in how
many only tho great honor book OF
heaven shall ever record I heard Of
one woman who I'D not i,now how to
swim. She had n life preServer on
and could therefore keep afoat. 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 cut and caught
a sinking man. When the sailors pull
| cd her into the boat She with her wo-
mans courage. had saved three human
lives. This herolsm was sometimes
found in the most unexpected places
After all the survivors had been
brought on bosrd the George W. Elder
a young girl came and sat by nv side
Her whole life seemed to have been
that OF a frivolous social BUTTERFLY She
laughed and joked. said to myself
How can airy one make light of this
horror" Yet n short time afterward
a gentleman told me that this young
girl, who seemed to be out of place OK
cept as creature of fun. was so brave
that at the risk Of her life she had
reached out Of the boat and with her
own fra!l hands drawn n drown inl
man over the gunwale ana saved him
Oh. do not tell me that this is mean
and selfish world, It is world filled
man life is standing face TO face with
death. II you had been on that toss
ing tunbling sea to the south Of Cape
Mendocino when the Columbia sanl
you would have known It,
But another fact which impressed me
on that fatal day was the realization
that those who truly suffer the wors
suffer in absolute quletude. 1t is only
the shallow brook that gurgles AND
splashes and makes a noise. The deeI
waters Of trouble, like a great river
roll quietly and smoothly. Oh, the
profound. the gloomy silence and ye
the overpowering sorrow Of that sac
line OF haunting faces Of the ship
wrecked passengers and crews lying
In the berths Of the George w. Elder
after they reached the Iescuing ship!
Suffered In Silence.
heard nearly everywhere the same
kind of gratitude. To one l woult
take clothes, for many of the sur
vivors had nothing; to others I woulc
carry food with others l would offer I
prayer. Have you lost any one?"
asked a gentle lady whose young eyes
haunted me. Yes: my baby" she an
swered. as your husband snfe?'
mo" she answered. II have no hus
band; l am widow" Yes. she hat
lost her all. Only he who raised vi
that only son of his mother, and she {
widow, could comfort her. Yet there
she lay, not uttering oCe word Of com
plant. Like wounded animal, sh,
was suffering in silence.
/ saw man who had set sail from
San Francisco with his wife and tive
children. Just before the Columbia
sank each parent took child. Whel
the awful plunge came the biRges
arms. The mother and the baby nevel
|