The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-05

findins fAult with the war the ark was
navigated they are entirely too late
abcut II. The old man had NO iicense
from any union or other organization
to qualify him ~ captain or naviga-
tor, but he needed none. God told him
to get into the ark with his family and
cargo. and he did SO. 1t was not for
him to study charts. or watch the COM
pass or otherwise concern himself as
craft. That was arranged and con-
troiied by higher power and he
obeyed orders
Consisting the obstacles with
which he had to contend" says The
Kansas City JonrnaI. Noah did pref
ty good job. from the standpoint Of the
lsyman, though the professional archi-
tects undoubtedly have discovered Sc
rious defects In the structural plans Of
the ark. But this pioneer craft ac-
complished the mission for which, 1t
was designed, and II was without doubt
the masterpiece Of naval construction
UP to the time Of it's launching In
the first place, 1t was hurry-up order
and was completed barely in time, for
the hrst sprinkle began about the time
and the menagerie got safely aboard.
II can hardly be urged with justice
that Noah In running his boat aground
proved his lack Of seamanshlp. ior the
main purpose Of the cruise. that Of
keeping dry. had been accomplished
and when the only bit of dry land ex-
tant at the time Of debarkation APPS
peared, Mount Ararat was the logical
port of entry. Probably Noah could
have kept out Of the mud for few
more weeks II any good purpose was to
have been served thereby. but what
was the user
As to whether this pioneer sailor
could or could not have refrained from
striking the top of Mount AArarat, or
whether anything would have been
gained by his going some other way.
even IL he had the power to do SO. that
would be profitIess subject of contro-
versy. We are persuaded that he had
nothing to do with the steering or the
stopping. but that God Himself direct
ed all Its movements. Our understand
ing of the affair is that he built the
vessel as he was directed. got into II
when ordered. and left the rest to the
Almighty. All that has nothing to do
with the slight put on him by the So
ciety which excluded him from menu
bership.
I The suggestion made by one Of the
members OF the Society that excluded
him, to quote The Charleston News and
Courier, that Noah was primarily a
gamekeeper. not boat designer, re-
eeived, moreover. enthusiastic endorse
ment. Such ignorance merits the Sc
verest rebuke. We are prepared to
maintain that not only was Noah the
best ship-buiider Of his day, but that
he was the ablest navigator as well.
We would further remark that no soon
er had his boat landed than he set an
example which has ever since been
followed by sea-faring men--he sought
llqnid refreshments. Noah Is dead. The
lribald jeers Of this miserable company
Of his unworthy descendants, who have
thus sought In puny fashion to cast a
stain upon his reputation, cannot at
feet him now. They would not have
troubled him had he been alive. No
man was more used to being laughed
at. For something like q century he
stood It. But the names Of none or
those who derfded him then are known
today. and neither will the names Of
any Of those who deride him now be
remembered q generation hence"
And SO 1t seems that the ancient
mariner" is not without friends and
defenders, even though he has been
dead something like rorty centuries. |
We quote from just one more-The
Hartford Times:
Noah's feat in building the ark and
months cruise has been the wonder
and admiration Of Intelligent critics for
centuries Noah was 600 years old
osier would have told him to poke his
nose into q chloroform bottle-when
he built. on quick notice, the most IA
nous vessel the world has ever known.
The ark was a remar kabie craft. The
cargo which II carried is without par
allel Admirably designed for its spe-
cial purpose. the ark was triumph OF
Qualities were subjected to a hard test.
Noah delivered the goods. His fame
rests on the arduous greatness of
things done. 1t makes no difference to
him whether the Society of Naval Ar
chitects and Marine Engineers puts
his name on its honorary list of mem
bers or declines to put 1t on. Noah is
too big q man and too broad-minded
to mind a twentieth century snub.
And so. viewing the whole matter
calmly and dispassionately. we are Of
the opinion that our ancient friend
loses nothing by the small malice of
the Society of Naval Architects.