Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-27
SHIP THAT COULD
NOT BE WRECKED
Most Famous Sea Voyage in
Literature Told in Sunday
School Lesson
(By William IT. Ellis. J

which shine so blue as they lap the
shore of Caesarea, can be as bolster
the mid-Atlantic. All the literature
of the classics that deals with the sea
means this Middle Sea- or Great
Sea" now newly in the worlds
thought because OF the troopships and
war vessels that at the present time
'crowd its waters I myself have sailed
most of the seas of earth, but none
can approach in historic interest or
natural beauty this great land-locked
sea which has borne upon its bosom
the commerce and navies of all the
great nationsf from remotest anti
guilty.
Pitifully small to our eyes seems the
craft in which Paul embarked for
his momentous voyage, 1t could be
hidden In one OF the holds of a mod
ern liner, 1t had no motive power ex-
cept heavy sails and man-pulled oars.
It was entirely of wood, and had no
division into compartments, or any
of the other safety devices of modern
seamanship, When trouble arose it
could not call by wireless, and when
stars and sun were blotted out, the
mariners were at a dead loss, for they
had no compass. Stout were the
hearts of the sailors who adventured
the cruel Mediterranean in such frail
vessels,
A Voyage of Romance
Because the greatest historian in
the world was aboard the little boat
as companion to the distinguished
prisoner. Paul OF Tarsus, we have a
graphic account of the storms and
final shipwreck. DR.. Luke and Broth
er Aristarchus, of Thessalonica, were
the sort of friends who stand by in
adversely. Aristarchus, 1t will be re-
membered, was with Paul in tho riot
at Ephesus, and underwent imprison-
ment for him. OF him, and two 9TH
f1.Aa l.
his letter tothe Colossians, "They are
men who have been a comfort to me-"
What 1t meant to Paul, as he saw the
shores of Caesarea fade, to have by his
side Luke, the peerless historian,
whose writings we are now studying,
and Aristarchus, the humble, devoted
helper who was ever alert to ease his
leaders lot, we can easily imagine
In heavens histories account is taken
of all these inconspicuous sharers in
great work. There the wives of the
ministers, the women who support the
prayer meetings and missionary So
cieues and teach the Sunday school
classes will not be without their need
of reward. =,
Because DR.. Luke, with his observ-
ant eye, was aboard the ship, we have
this complete record of the romantic
voyage. He makes us see, by a few
lines, the gentlemanly officer Captain
Julius; the few other prisoners; the
brutal soldiers, the cowardly sailors
and the thrifty owners. We can fol-
low every mile of the great journey
Sidon, rock-bound old Sidon, with
its streets vaulted like tunnels, and
its effulgent orange groves. was the
first stop, and there, by the courtesy
of Julius, Paul was allowed to fellow
ship with his friends. Thence the
ooat pore across the sea, under the
lee of Cyprus (now a British island,
where the warships foregather) and
ran up the coast of Asia Minor, along
the route at present patrolled by the
allied fleet. That carried them past
Paurs old home, Tarsus. We wonder
what were his sensations as he stood
by the rail. looking toward the famil-
lar Cilician Plain, and the Taurus
mountains beyond.
AT Myra the prisoners were trans
ferred to another ship, one from
Alexandria, in Egypt. bound for
Italy. This was the craft which, with
the 276 souls aboard. underwent the
later furies of the storm. The real
troubles began at Crete, where the
ship sought for harbor at Fair Havens.
This was the same Crete that we have
of late been reading about in the
newspapers, which has revolted from
the Athens government, and in which
Mr.. Eenezelos has raised the standard
of rebellion.
An Old Sea-Tale
from TINS point, let us permit DIR.
Luke, in whose ears was the Shrek
of the wind. and beneath whose feet
the frail bark had trembled and who
had shared in all the counsels of the
storm tossed leaders, tell the story for
himself. I quote from a modern trans
lation of the Greek in which he wrote:
Our voyage thus far had occupied
a considerable time, and the naviga-'
ton being now unsafe and the Fast
also already over. Paul warned them.
Slrs' he said, L perceive that be-
fore long the voyage will be attended
with danger and heavy loss not only
TO the cargo and the ship but to our
own lives also
But Julius let himself be per
suaded by the pilot and by the owner
rather than by Pauls arguments; and
as the harbor was inconvenient for
wintering in, the majority were in
faVor OF putting out to sea, to try
whether they could get to Phoenix
a harbor on the coast of Crete facing
northeast and southeast-to winter
there. And light breeze from the
south sprang up, so that they supposed
Ihey were now sure of their purpose.
So weighing anchor they ran along the
coast OF Crete, hugging the shore.
But 1t was not long before furious
northeast wind, coming down from the
mountains, burst upon us and carried
the snip out of her course She was
gale; so we gave up and let her drive.
Then we ran under the lee of a little
island called Cauda, where we man
aged with great difficulty to secure the
boat; and, after hosting it on board,
they used Trapping cables to under
slrd the ship, and, as they were afraid
or being driven on the Syrtis quick
sands, they lowered the gear and Law
TO. But. as the storm was still violent.
the next day they began to tighten the
snip, and, on the third day, with their
own hands they threw the ships spare
gear overheard Then, when for sew
eral days neither sun nor stars were
seen and the terrific gale still har
rassed us. the last ray of hope was
now vanishing.
When for a long time they had
taken but little food. Paul, standing
up among them said
'Sirs. you ought to have listened to
me and not have sailed from Crete
You would then have escaped this suf-
fering and loss. But now take cour-
age, for there will be no destruction
OF life among you, but of the ship only.
For there stood by my side, last night.
an angel of the God to whom / belong,
and whom also l worship, and He
said,
Dismiss all fear. Paul, for YOU
must stand before Caesar; and God