The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-10
"THE SEA HATH SPOKEN"
Reflections Upon the Tragedy of the
Titanic's Sinking.

! The United Presbyterian.
"Thy way was in the sea, and thy
paths in the great waters, and thy
footsteps were not known" The world
as aghast at the tragedy of the sea,
the sinking of the Titanic in 5000 fa-
thoms to the floor of the Atlantic. With
the futter of flags and the waving OIL
Joyous salutations, the greatest steam
ship the world has ever seen, built af-
i ter the similitude of a palace, enriched
with all that art and science could
provide or the handicraft Of man could
furnish, steamed away seaward with
2,4OO souls in trust. Never did proud
er ship plow the crystal fathoms of the
deep. Never had sailed on any vessel
such abundant wealth. Here were rep
resenatives of art, Of science, Of II
nance, of commerce, Of learning, men
and women of every rank, Of culture
and refinement, the possessors of mil
lions, men of vast achievements,
known around the world, all happy in
heart, afoat in that gigantic sea-
palace. A thing of destiny it seemed,
mans highest achievement in ship
architecture, the admiration of every
ibeholder, the proud boast of its build
ers, the miracle of the sea, it rode the
billows like conqueror, flung the
hlue-white burrows from its prov, left
the populous and admiring world be-
hind and vanished, a trembling blur
on the horizon, its drifting pennant OF
smoke it's last farewell.
Away to the north, in the wild, fierce
fields of eternal ice and snow, white
berg broke from its fellows and kissed
by sunbeams, famed by south winds,
wooed by gravity it drifted silently,
bannerless, pennantless, down, down
into the paths where great ships float
and the commerce of continents ebbs
and flows, and this gray thing of the
north, this white, ragged splinter from
Gods forests of crystal spars and
peaks, this spectral, purposeless dere-
lict. spawn of the furious north wind,
met the windowed wonder, the proud
hammered miracle of mans fashioning,
met it abroad in Gods vast night,
smote it, and the proud achievement
of man went down to the bottom Of the
sea, swallowed up in the remorseless
fathoms, the sepulcher of 1900 souls,
the grave of $2O,OOO,OO0, the tomb of
more hopes than ever perished in a
night.
The collision startled the world. 1t
spread its deep gloom over cities far
and away below every horizon. Mil
lions of hearts sorrowed for the treas
ures of life that went down to rest in
that mausoleum two miles deep. Not
a hamlet or home but was dazed ana
saddened as the wireless told the aw-
full story that two souls out of every
three went down to a watery grave.
Klamath is confounded, and Arpad;
for they have heard evil things, they
are melted away; there is sorrow on
the sea; it can not be quiet
We are still stupefed with the dis
aster, for definite details are wanting.
At this writing the Carpathia, carry
ing the survivors, has not reached port.
But in this CHASTITY crucifxion of mans
boasted achievement there is seen the
weakness of his mightiest endeavor
when matched with the silent forces
of Him who walked on the midnight
sea. In our contest with the elements
of nature God must be taken into ac-
count. 1t teaches us to beware or
boasting, and to remember how puny
is the finite arm when God stirs up the
west winds, loosens the avalanche, un-
leashes the earthquake, or calls his
white icebergs out Of the frigid north.
It might remind us that the forces OF
the Infinite can not be disregarded,
and that our transportation lines
should abandon the dangerous north
ern route for safer ones, even though
they keep their passengers, few
hours more at sea. 1t is better to