The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-24

at last and then there was a song.
led By Rev. Ira Sankey. "Praue God
from Whom All Blessings Flow" the
entire congregatio n joining in the sing
ing and when the singing was over
Rev. Dwight Moody advanced to the
front of the platform and said.
I've are now going to engage in
prayer-to pray God to send rain to
the parched earth. and relieve the
suffering of his people. want every
man and woman. every Christian and
sinner in this tabernacle to join In
this prayer, and to throw their whole
soul into Il; and II we all pray with
faith and confidence in God lie will
answer our prayer. Now let everybody
kneel and pray, while pray, and pray
like you expected your prayers to be
answered. Let everybody kneel."
And every man. woman and child in
that congregation went down on their
knees and Joined with Moody in pray.
ing for rain. Men prayed that night
who had not addressed a petition to
the Almighty for years. Snd they
prayed like they believe their prayers
would be heard. There were saloon
men In that crowd that night, and
they too, prayed for rain; there were
women from the acre who mas come
from curiosity, and they, too. prayed
for rain, It was afterward told; and
when the evangelist had finished pray
ing and stopped to rest. he told the
did so. head bowed some continuing
their prayers.
II was while the vast congrega-
tion was thus bowed that there was
a sound-a deep, rumblins sound away
off in the west, that caused faces TO
pale. Il was the muttering Of thunder;
and when Moody heard 1t he cried out.
pray on people, Pray on, and God
will answer our prayers" and the peo.
pie prayed on.
The rolling thunder increased, black
clouds rolled up from the west, in
dense bank, until the face of the
heavens were hid There was a glar.
ing flash of lightning and while the
people were still kneeling, the rain be-
gan to fall. and as the first drops pat
tered on the roof Of the tabernacle
songs of praise welled out above the
roar of tho storm.
Harder and harder the rain came
down: louder and louder the people
sang, while Moody the evangelist ex'
horted The rain inreased to almost
water spout, coming down In such
volumes that the vents from the root
were not sufficient to carry it off, as
fast as It fell. So terrific did the
storm become that the people became
frightened, and a stampede was start
ed. but the evangelist checked 1t by
shouting:
and will take care of his people"
And then there was a crash neal
the main door of the tabernacle, fol
lowed by a flood OF water. The roo
had givon away under the weight o
accumulated water on top OF 1t
and many people were caught undel
the ruins. Rev Mr.. Sankcy was sing
ing song IN which "hlllelnjah" IL
rtpeated at the end of every verse
but when the roof caved in 1t wa
a little too much for him and he made
a rapid retreat toward the far end o
the building. but Rev. Mr. Moody still
stood his ground bravely, shouting
Glory to Cod"
Several people were bruised by th'
falling roof but no one was serious
/ yhurt. The rain continued for nearl!
an hour, but the meeting came to
close about the same time the roo
caved in.
Now, whittier that rain came AM
broke the drouth in Texas as an ans
) wer to the prayers offered up tha
night or whether 1t would have com
; anyhow, is something that cannot b
decided here; but that it did com
/ just as described here is well know
: to hundreds of people In Fort Wort
/ today; and 1t is true that many pee
. PIE who scoffed at special Providenc
, before that cloudburst are quiet o
, the subject now
/ John Leer was running variet
r theatre at the corner of Second an
l Main street at the time, and he wen
!. down out OF curiosity to see wha
e was a new show to him and he sa'
e It. After he had emerged from tn
I wreck OF the caYed-in roof and ha
e pulled himself together, he remarke