Alaska sentinel., 1908-10-01
IN HONOR OF
 THE DROWNED
Rev. Corser Lauds RerOism of
 Men on Star of Bengal

At a speeisl memorial service held at St. Philips church, last Sunday night, Rev. H. P. Corser said;
 Tn the appeal for help at the time of the great disaster at Galveston, were the words, "Sincs it has pleased Almighty God to bring this disaster upon us." On reading this appeal, noted minister asked. "Did the writer of the appeal full ly undsytand7 God sometimes sends trouble. but does all trouble come from Him?"
 We admit that God may send trouble to chastise and call to repentance, but do not let us think for a minute that all trouble comes from Him. However, all trouble may be % used that 1t works for good. Let be, therefore, our purpose to 50 use this great disaster in which the ship Star of Bengal and 50 many brave and good men were lost, that it will help us to better life.
 When the ship left port 1t was like the harvesters bringing home the har- vest. They were looking forward to their harvest home. Soon the storm arose. The men on board felt that they had work to do to bring the valuable cargo safely home.
 The significant part of the whole mat ter is that during the four hours that the ship lay at anchor off Coronation Island, all the men might have gotten safely ashore. Why did they not avail themselves of this opportunity for safe ty? They realized that If they deserted the ship, all chance of saving 1t was lost. So, to do their duty they risked thsif own lives.
 Is not this something to be proud of? We read of heroes far away, but because their heroism is far away it does not seem 90 real But when the heroism comes to our very doors, it seems much more real and the inspiration is much greater. What is the nature of this in- spiration?
 Do we not see in this incident an il. iustratiofi of the truth that the greatest efferts of man are made without the hope of finarsial reward? Sometimes you hear 1t said that if you take away 1 the hope of francis, reward, you take away the one great incentive fof man to advance But this heroic devotion to duty on the part of the men in the Star of Bengal illustrates the fallscy of the idea that seinshnsss is the one motive that brings forth great deeds.
 Further. this noble devotioh to duty incfeases our opinion of human nature. We, na doubt, at times are prone to be like the old Quaker who had gone to and fro on the earth, and said after his re- turn home, Wife, have been to and fro in the earth, and l have found that everyone except thee and me is queer; and thou ait little queer When we get to feeling that way, how it cuts our selves off from humanity, and also from a belief in God as we'll The man goes alone; and what can 2 man do alone? Therefore, anything like this great sac rifce, which makes us believe more Tn men, is a boon to us.
 Still further, does not this incident in- spire greater heroism tn all our hearts? Let us, in this heroism, not simply be inspired with physical heroism. There are men who are not afraid of the wild, tossing, storm-swept sea- who are not afraid of the, cannon's hhot; who are put to flight by a snesr, or made cow ards by the prospective loss of few do1Iars. Let us have more heroism in our everyday life.
 My friends, all of you have more or less infuencej much more than you will admit. There are those looking up to you for advice and guidance. You are a captain to them. When the moral tempest arises, are you c true captain, or are you ready to desert the ship and leave those entrusted to you to be torn to pieces by the moral storms of life?
 Then, further, what is your personal relation to your God?
 Once I heard a man say of another who went into eternity without trsnaor that he was 8 brave man. Was he? Suppose a man should try to sail rough sea in a small boat, and be lost; is such a man a brave man? Would we not have some other word for himi l When the Master is with us, whether the latter end is at home among friends, or out on the eea, we do not go into the eternity alone. You have heard of when