THINGS REMEMBERED IN THE STORM.
A few things were remembered in the storm, to which, when we have
called the reader’s attention, our task is ended. THE BIBLE was read
in the storm. Doubtless the passengers had with them many books to
relieve the tedium of a long voyage, but good as these books might have
been, it was not from these that they sought to derive instruction
and comfort in the hour of peril. They opened their Bibles, many of
them were seen in groups reading it together, or sitting by themselves
turning over its pages, as if in search after some passage which had
been forgotten, and the meaning of which was specially important then.
They read the Bible during the most solemn hour of their existence,
and when they knew that their moments were numbered, and whilst in the
midst of a scene which its own pages have so magnificently described.
“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in the great
waters; these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the
waves thereof. They mount up to heaven, they go down again to the
depths; their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro,
and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they
cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their
distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are
still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them
unto their desired haven.”
That storm-tossed vessel, with her sinking passengers, has furnished
no insignificant testimony to the preciousness of the Book which too
many criticise as if it were the foe and not the friend of humanity.
The picture of those passengers going down with their Bibles in their
hands will be a sweeter one for the memory to treasure, than all the
results of anatomical critics. And Oh surely! it will teach its lessons
to those who are content to live in the neglect of, or in direct
opposition to, the Book which in such an hour was appealed to, and not
in vain.
Nor must it be forgotten that, on board the sinking _London_, the
passengers attached the greatest possible importance to prayer.
They prayed for themselves, and they besought an interest in the
intercessions of others. During those wasting days and nights of
lingering suspense they continued in prayer: it was their only comfort,
and they went down into the deep with the voice of supplication upon
their lips. Does not this teach its own solemn lesson to the prayerless
who may read these pages? Does it not tell of a value in prayer beyond
all the arguments that may be used against it, or even in favour of
it? Those brave men and women, praying bareheaded to the storm, and
going down into the wild waves calmly trusting in God’s goodness
still;--shall not this last touching act of theirs convey an appeal to
the prayerless which there can be no resisting? Shall it not say in
tones of entreaty that cannot be withstood, “Seek ye the Lord while He
may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near?” Close to your heart
with its deepest needs there stands a throne of mercy from which every
imaginable good can be obtained: turn to that throne, be you in lane,
highway, or open street, when this commandment reaches you, and seek
salvation in the name of Christ, and you shall not seek in vain.
Finally, on board the sinking _London_, the greatest attention was paid
to a preached gospel. A preacher is not unfrequently heard enforcing
his appeals to the undecided by the solemn words, “I speak as a dying
man to dying men.” In Mr. Draper’s case the words were literally true,
and they had all the pathos and hold of last words that might at any
moment be stopped by the overwhelming flood: and how the passengers
listened! How important seemed every word then with either heaven or
hell coming nearer and nearer with every inch of water rising in the
engine-room!
Ah! could those on land, and out of the reach, as they think, of such a
calamity as shipwreck, but feel, that slowly yet surely up to them is
advancing the hour in which all earthly interests will be as nothing,
and the concerns of the soul all important, how would they now value
the privilege of a preached gospel, and every instrumentality by which
they can learn more of themselves and of spiritual things! A little
while, and the last hour of every one who reads these lines will have
come, and will be felt to be the last. How wilt thou meet it, reader?
It has been said, that in that last hour, no matter how aged the dying
one, the memory awakes to its keenest power, and there passes before
the mind a vivid diorama of all life’s doings. Events and circumstances
seemingly long buried, suddenly leap into life, and it well nigh
startles one to listen to the remembrances that come and go through the
fast-darkening chambers of the brain. Slowly dying on the pillow before
us, lies one whose head is silent with age, and the grey dawn of an
eternal morning is stealing over his features; but glancing brightly
through the haze of death, there come to him visions of his long, long
past; of the home of his childhood, of the bride of his youth, of the
events of his riper age and manhood, until in a single hour he seems
to live all his life over again.
Oh! it will be sad to remember, in such an hour, a neglected Bible,
a throne of grace despised, and a gospel of mercy refused. It will
be sad to remember, that even such a calamity as the wreck of the
_London_ produced no serious impression, and no turning of the head
towards heaven. If the things which the sinking passengers remembered
during the storm are remembered by you now,--if their deep importance
is laid to heart by all whose feelings have been touched by the
disaster,--then, terrible though it has been, it will not have occurred
in vain. It will have come in mercy to those who, in circumstances of
fancied security, are not prepared to die. To such the voice of the
sinking minister crying, even from the drowning wave, “Prepare to meet
your God,” will not have come in vain.
THE END.
[Illustration]
APPENDIX.
The narrative which we have here given of the Wreck of the _London_
was written pending the inquiry instituted by the Board of Trade to
arrive, if possible, at the cause of the melancholy catastrophe. It
is to be regretted that the inquiry, though it lasted many days, has
not added much to the information that was given to the public by
the survivors upon their landing at Plymouth. No discovery has been
made as to the real cause which brought about the melancholy event,
although it is hardly possible to conceive any question of more serious
importance to the public mind. The evidence given at the inquiry was
by no means satisfactory. On the one hand, those directly connected
with the owners gave their evidence, and on the other hand, there was
the testimony of the Emigration Inspectors who had passed the ship,
and who could not be expected to stultify themselves by a new judgment
of her seaworthiness. But against this testimony of ship-builders and
inspectors has been placed the evidence of those who declare that the
ship was in disgracefully bad trim, and, as will be seen among the
slips that were picked up in bottles that were cast away on the morning
of the wreck, there was one which says that the vessel was too heavily
laden. Great dissatisfaction has been expressed, and it has even been
made a subject of discussion in the House of Commons, that Mr. Traill,
the magistrate before whom the Board-of-Trade inquiry was conducted,
did not permit Counsel to cross-examine witnesses on behalf of those
who have lost relatives: but it seems that there really was no power
under the Act of Parliament to admit of such cross-examination. The
tonnage, measurement, and steam-power of the ship, together with the
names of her owners, the nature and quantity of her cargo, were stated
before the Court. We heard again the story of her voyage from the Docks
to Gravesend, and from Gravesend to Plymouth, and from Plymouth to the
Bay of Biscay. There was no charge made against Captain Martin, and
no one dreamed of imputing negligence or incapacity to so experienced
a seaman. The evidence of the official surveyors and other experts
examined by the Court of Inquiry as to the construction and fittings
of the _London_ was, on the whole, decidedly in favour of her perfect
seaworthiness. In the opinion of the Court, the immediate cause of her
loss was the sea getting into the engine-room and extinguishing the
fires; but the Court did not venture upon any positive conclusions as
to whether the action of the sea carried away the skylight over the
engine hatchway, or whether the skylight was properly secured. It did
not appear in evidence that the fastenings of the skylight were not
properly secured, and it was distinctly stated that the hatchway was
perfectly battened down. There were several points in the evidence as
regards the occurrences at sea--such as the carrying away the masts and
booms, the delay in clearing away the wreck, the loss of the boats, and
other matters relating to the management of the ship--which might have
been more satisfactorily explained had the lamented Captain, or any
of the officers of the ship, survived to explain them. In the absence
of such explanation, it is but reasonable to give Captain Martin
the credit for the character he always possessed, of being an able
and careful seaman, who would not be guilty of any great default of
management.
For ourselves, we can hardly believe that the ship was in the
disgraceful condition that some represent her to have been, unless we
are ready to assume that there was a gigantic conspiracy among all
concerned in pronouncing the ship to be in safe trim. The Surveyor of
the Board of Trade passed the ship; Lloyd’s Surveyor, acting in the
interests of the Underwriters, passed the ship; and lastly, the ship
was passed by the Emigration Surveyor, who had not only to look to
the ship generally, but to take into consideration her cargo, for the
purpose of seeing whether she was overloaded. We join in the universal
regret that the real cause of the ship’s foundering, beyond what is
given in the preceding pages, is still a mystery; and it only remains
for us again to express the hope that still more scrutinizing care
will be exercised by Government Inspectors and others, in regard to
every ship concerning whose safe trim they are called upon fairly and
honestly to testify.
* * * * *
Messrs. Wigram have kindly forwarded the following List of Passengers
per steam-ship _London_, Captain J. Bohun Martin, for Melbourne:--
CHIEF CABIN.
Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Draper
Mr. Owen and child
Mr. and Mrs. G. F. P. Urquhart
Mr. J. Patrick
Mr. and Miss Vaughan (Brooke)
Mr. J. Alderson
Mr. P. Benson
Mr. and Mrs. J. Fenton, and two children
Mr. G. M. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, and two children
Mr. and Mrs. Clark, and son
Mr. F. Lewis
Mr. and Mrs. J. Bevan
Dr. J. Woolley
Mr. and Mrs. Debenham
Miss L. Maunder
Mr. J. Robertson
Mr. T. M. Tennant
Mrs. Traill and child
Mr. G. Palmer
Mr. T. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Amos
Mr. E. Brooks
Mr. J. R. Richardson
Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr
Mrs. and Miss King
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and two children
Mr. A. Sandilands
Mr. E. Youngman
Mr. H. J. Dennis
Mr. E. A. Marks
Mr. D. F. De Pass
Master W. D. Burrell
Dr. J. Hunter
Miss D’Ovoy
Miss C. McLachlan
Miss Cutting
Mr. McMillan
SECOND CABIN.
Mr. Kaye Eastwood
Mr. F. Stone
Mr. and Mrs. White
Miss H. Price
Mr. J. L. Williams
Mr. and Mrs. Graham
Mr. B. G. Rowe
Mr. J. E. Wilson (_saved_)
Mrs. Morland
Miss G. Graham
Mr. J. Dothie
Mr. C. Gough
Mr. A. Bruce
Mr. J. Woodhouse
Mr. G. Cross
Mr. W. Day
Mr. D. W. Lemon
Mr. and Mrs. Giffett
Mr. G. Chennells
Mr. and Mrs. Wood
Master and Miss Clayson
Mr. Thomas Wood
Mr. Godfrey Wood
Miss E. Wood
Mr. B. Bevan
Miss S. Brooker
Mr. Davies
Mr. T. O’Hagen
Mr. H. W. Harding
Mr. F. Fryer
Mr. J. Munro (_saved_)
Mr. D. C. Main (_saved_)
Mr. C. Johnstone
Mr. P. Fenwick
Mrs. and Miss Meggs
Mr. G. H. Campbell
Miss E. Marks
Mr. E. G. Trevenen
Mr. and Mrs. Hickman, two sons and two daughters
Mr. A. McLean
Mr. Davies
THIRD CABIN.
Mr. W. Passmore
Mr. H. Miller
Mr. C. P. Chandler
Mr. B. Hay
Miss E. Jones
Mrs. and Miss Simpson
Mr. and Mrs. Hanson
Mr. and Mrs. Graham and three children
Mr. David Graham
Mr. McVittie
Mr. G. Rolwegan
Mr. and Mrs. Sercombe and three children
Mr. and Mrs. G. Flick and four children
Mr. R. Trevenen
Mr. D. Block
Mr. J. Gerkem
Messrs. Zulec Morris and Zulec Barnett
Mr. S. Bolton
Mr. T. Skeggs
Mr. and Mrs. D. Smith
Mr. A. Umphray
Master Spring
Mr. A. Hoyeim
Mr. J. Walls
Mr. W. Barron
Mrs. Lampes and two children
Mr. Algernon L. Otter
Mr. John Little
Mr. H. McCovey
Mrs. Bachelor
Mr. J. Kirkwood
Mr. W. Clifton
Mr. R. Reynolds
SEA MESSAGES FROM THE PASSENGERS.
Admiral Halsted, the Secretary of Lloyd’s, has received the following
letter from Sir Anthony Perrier, C.B., Her Majesty’s Consul, and
Lloyd’s Agent at Brest, dated 24th February 1866:--
SIR,--I annex a translation of an extract from a letter just
received from the Commissary-General of Marine at Lorient,
which may be of interest to those concerned in the fate of the
unfortunate _London_, should the original papers sent to Paris not
have been transmitted to Her Majesty’s Government by the Minister
of Marine.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
ANTHONY PERRIER.
To the Secretary at Lloyd’s.
Extract of a letter from Commissary-General of Marine at Lorient:--
(_Translation._)--On the 12th of February last three bottles were
found on the coast of Guiberon and Locruariaquer, containing six
papers written in English, as follows:--
_The first paper_--D. W. Lemon, London, Thursday, 10th January
1866. The ship is sinking; no hope of being saved. Dear parents,
may God bless you, as also me, with the hope of eternal salvation.
_Second paper._--Steam-ship _London_.--They are putting out the
boats.
_Third paper._--F. G. Huckstepp. On board steam-ship _London_, lat.
46 deg. 20 min., long., 7 deg. 30 min.; lost boats, masts, and
sails; ship leaking.
_Fourth paper._--We commenced our voyage on Saturday, the 30th
December 1865. Sunday in the channel, Monday in open sea; Tuesday
in ditto; Wednesday at Cowes; Thursday at Plymouth; Friday and
Saturday at sea; Sunday bad weather; Monday water from the stern
comes in cabins; the 9th, heavy damages, a boat lost. May we get
home. Storm.--H. G.
_Fifth paper._--F. C. McMillan, of Launceston, Tasmania, 12th
January, to his dear wife and dear children: May God bless you all.
Farewell for this world. Lost in the steam-ship _London_, bound for
Melbourne.
_Sixth paper._--H. J. D. Denis to Th. Denis Knight, at Great
Shelford: Adieu father, brothers, and my ... Edi ... steamer,
_London_, Bay of Biscay, Thursday, ten o’clock. Ship too heavily
laden for its size, and too crank; windows stove in; water coming
in everywhere. God bless my poor orphans. Request to send this, if
found, to Great Shelford. Storm not too violent for a ship in good
condition.
On the same day were found, on the shoals of Guiberon, a binnacle
watch, stopped at half-past ten o’clock, a woman’s shift, two cotton
sheets, two splinters of wood, having on them in white letters, and six
centimetres (2½ inches long), the word _London_.
A great quantity of staves have been picked up along the coast.
In compliance with instructions from the Minister of Marine, the
above-mentioned papers have been sent to the Minister of Marine and
Colonies.
Transcriber’s Notes
Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a
predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they
were not changed.
Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation
marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left
unbalanced.
Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs and
outside quotations.
Original text used “steam-ship” and “steamship”; both retained here.
Original text used “Mc” and “M‘” (the curving left single quote was
used because it looks similar to a superscript “c”). In this ebook,
“Mc” is used for all of them.