Evening star., 1933-05-07


brig. Remember that We were 500. all Of US
armed: that the captain and crew could not
have kept Us back for i've minutes II we had
chosen to seize the boats True, there were
many among US who considered the steamer
safer than the boats. But the majority Of
the Californians knew that the former was
sinking None to whom spoke entertained
any delusive hopes on the point. Rescue from
passing vessels swas the only resource to which
nine-tenths Of the passengers looked. Yet.
with one or two trivial exceptions. not q man
tnterfered with the embarkation Of the women
and children. Considering the character and
antecedents Of the bulk Of the passengers,
this conduct appears to me 10 be unequaled
In history"
don. Of whom 1t was said at the time:
Each life that was lost With the Central
America carries bitter sorrow to private homes;
but the death Of her commander, Lieut.. Hern-
don, Is public loss. he was gentleman q
scholar, an accomplished o6acer. an honorable
man. He had written his name in our history
by his heroic exploration Of the Amazon In
the years l851-52. . He served with dis
dnction also during the Mexican War. and
was engaged for three years with his brother
tn-law Lieut.. Maury. In the National Observa-
tory at Washington
When at O'Clock Saturday evening It vss
seen that the ship was doomed, Cart Herndon
gave his watch to one Of the passengers to be
delivered to his wife. He then had Life pre-
servers passed around and Agnaled for assist
ance. which finally came. when the women
and children were taken aboard the rescue
vessel, shortly after which the ship noundered
with all on board. including the crew Of l0l
and in all, 426 passengers and the larger part
Of the crew. including the captain, lost their
Hives. The commander was true to the tradt.
tions Of the Navy. and tried. up to the very
last minute. to save his shop and those on
board. and was last seen signaling while stand
ing on the paddle box. tor assistance.
so faithful and loyal was bis character"
We are told. that when the loss Of the steamer
was reported to his wife, with an expression
OF hope that he was saved, she, who had the
best right to know him best, replied, NO; If
any one Is lost he is lost. for he would save
every one before he could think Of himselfv One
OF the saved passengers declares, I believe
there was not man left ON board the ship
but would have given his life If 1t could have
saved the captain
Such a man does not die too soon for him.
self, but only for those who love him. The
thought of his fidelity cheers even the gloom
Of that disaster. It is not hard to believe that
In those dark hours his calmness made those
doomed ones calm: that he died as all heroes
die doing his duty; and that death came to
him, as 1t comes to all Christian gentlemen
conquered, and not . conqueror."
THIS was the brave father Of Mrs. Chester
- Alan Arthur. then young lady Just 20
years Of age. A monument to his memory
stands in the Naval Academy grounds, and
the writer understands that Herndon, Va, was
named in his honor
To return to marriage and its superstitions.
OF course, ever so many people recall the mar
riage Of Miss Frances Folsom to President Gro
yer Cleveland on June 2, 1885, but few recall
that this date fell on Wednesday. It was the
only time that . President had been married
In the Executive Mansion, and his bride proved
to be the most charming and gracious first
lady Of the White House since Dolly Madisons
time.
BENJAMIN Harrison married his first wife,
Caroline Scott on October 20. 1853, which fell
ON Thursday. President Mckinley married Ida
saxton on Wednesday. Theodore Roosevelt and
Wednesday, and when he married for the sec
ond time, Edith Kermit Carow, he selected
Thursday President and Mrs. Taft were united
In holy matrimony on Saturday.
President Wilson was married first on
Wednesday and the second time on Saturday,
which makes at least six Presidents who dem
onstrated that they were not afraid to marry
on the proverbally unlucky day.
When Nellie Gusts and MAJ. Lawrence Lewis
were married at Mount Vernon on Washing
tons last birthday, the date fell on Friday, and
II the contracting parties subsequently had any
serious losses it never became known. Nellie
was the first Presidents adopted daughter and
Maj. Lewis his favorite nephew Upon this oc-
casion the general wore the plain Continental
blue and buff while the magnificent white
plumes presented to him by Maj Gen. Pinck-
ney. he gave to the young bride. preferring the
old cooked hat of the Revolution to . more
snowy chapeau.
President and Mrs. Coolidge were married ON
Wednesday, while the present occupant Of the
White House chose st. Patrick's day which, in
1905 fell on Friday