The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-22
BELIEVE DISASTER
WAS NOT IN Vain
Richmond Ministers Draw
. Lesson from Recent Trag-
edy of the Deep
ALL DANGER MUST BE
AVOIDED IN FUTURE
Heroism of Men Is Exto!led
and Bruce Ismay Is Charg-
ed With Responsible
ity for Wreck
Not In vain was tho tragedy of the

Not in vain was tho tragedy of the
Titanic.
Such was the deduction drawn
from the recent catastrophe of the
deep by Richmond ministers who dis
cussed the topic in their pulpIts yes
terday.
III this disaster shall serve TO
make us more alert in the preVen-
ton OF such a thing In the future.
more charitable in our judgement OF
our fellows, more earnest In alleviat-
ing the pain and sorrow all around
us and above all in leading us to "a
more pronounced faith in God and
IL truer retrospective of life itself 1t
shall not have been in VAIN said the
Rev w. r. Burreli. pastor OF Fair
mount Avenue Baptist church.
The Rev u. Clay Lilly. pastor of
Grace Street Presbyterian church.
emphasized the point that the pres
ent-day law OF the sea, which places
the lives and safety OF women and
children above that OF men is law
based on the teachings of Christian
ity. Nowhere in classic or heather
literature he pointed out, Is there
anything that teaches reverence for
women or humane consideration for
the child.
Put Blame on Isnay.
Man cannot violate the law of ma
ture without suffering the conse-
quences, according TO the Rev. John
II. Eager. of Baltimore. who filled the
pulpit of Grace street Baptist. Twen-
ty-two times has this minister crossed
the Atlantic, and It was of the abund-
ance Of experience that he spoke. He
foresaw abandonment OF the so-called
Northern route and a better supply
OF lifeboats In the future. Above all.
he charged J. Bruce Ismay. general
director Of the White Star Line with
responsibility for the disaster.
Investigation into this awful ca
lamity has proceeded far enough for
us to know that this accident was en-
tirely ayoidable." said the Rev. W. j..
Young, pastor of Centenary Method
list church We may not locate the
blame. Indeed, do not desire to do
SO. but we must all admit that whoa
ever was responsible was In a sense
a creature OF conditions which today
are leading us all to clamor for speed
and which may have back OF 1t the
mad rush to get RICH"
The Rev. O. Guthe. pastor Of the
German Lutheran church. found In
the tragedy the lesson that there Ia
IA limit to human endeavor. He took
Cor his text: The sea IL His; He made
It"
With very few exceptions, Nearer,
my God. TO Thee, Nearer to Thee" was
sung at the close OF each sermon. this
having been the anthem which the
Titanic band played as the ship went
down, engulfing more than two-thirds
Of it's human cargo.
Must Avoid Danger.
DR.. Eager said in part: I'VE must
abandon the northern route. II Is al
ways dangerous. II the ships 20
hundred miles or SO farther south,
practically all danger from icebergs
will be avoided. There must be life-
boats for al. 1t seems incredible
that ten million dollars should be
spent on ship like the Titanic with
ont due regard for the safety OF its
passengers. The ship companies must
now come under the law. We cannot
violate the law OF nature without
suffering the consequences. II take
poison, DIE If / put my hand In
fire. IL burns. II two engines crash
together. there is wreck and ruin. So
II IL II a ship hits an iceberg.
AN unworthy and dangerous spirit
Of rivalry between the big steamship
companies exists. Some emulation is
necessary There IL a price 10 pay
for progress Put here there was too
much.
In this past the world has been
soc reckless. Millions NJ iivss have
heen sacrihceH nediessly. We must
check railroad disasters. Va must
nut stop 10 catastSopheo N m1ne1y