Gems of Reminiscence: Seventeenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Religion
Gems of Reminiscence: Seventeenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Missions
All the work essential for the salvation of the dead has recently been
done for that man--Samuel Long--in the Salt Lake Temple, by Ernest.
Before leaving the hospital Ernest received a telegram from his old
captain telling him that the "Cramlington" would again be at Devonport
on a certain date, and if he was well enough he would be glad to
take him back home. He accordingly announced his intention to leave
the hospital, although he was still unable to walk, and the doctor
consented reluctantly for him to go.
After getting on board the vessel, the Spirit manifested to him that
he ought to leave the ship, and he proposed to the captain to do so,
offering the plea that he was not fit for service; but the captain
plead so hard for him to stay, offering to hire a man to do all his
work, that he finally yielded.
On the next voyage, which was to Rouen, France, the vessel was all but
lost, off Flambrough Head, by the breaking down of the engines in a
violent storm off the lea shore. Ernest, seeing the plight the vessel
was in, threw up his hands and cried to the Lord to have mercy on him,
and forgive his disobedience; and not suffer the ship to be dashed
against the rocks, which would mean certain death to all on board. The
captain ordered the anchors to be thrown out, but the ship dragged the
anchors, and when it seemed that nothing could save the vessel a cry
of relief was heard from the chief engineer, for the engines had again
started working.
The order was given "Full speed ahead!" and in a few moments the vessel
was free from danger. On reaching Rouen the engines were overhauled,
and the chief engineer was horrified when he saw that it was by the
merest thread that they were saved from a complete collapse.
Notwithstanding this evidence of the dangerous condition of the
ship, as well as the Spirit's warning not to trust himself on it,
Ernest still remained on her, and set forth on a voyage from Blyth to
Plymouth. When off Dover at midnight the ship collided with the Dutch
steamer "Ceres", and sank in six minutes.
Ernest was asleep in his berth at the time, and would have drowned had
not the captain, who was on deck when the collision occurred, rushed
down into the cabin to secure the ship's papers. Seeing Ernest asleep,
he grasped him by the shirt collar and dragged him on deck, thus saving
his life, but losing all his own effects, that he might otherwise have
saved.
Ernest was the last to enter the boat, which had scarcely left the side
of the ship when she foundered.
All hands were saved through the ship "Ceres" picking them up and
landing them in Amsterdam, after they had been supplied with clothing,
some of them having barely escaped with their night clothes on.
If Ernest had listened to the whisperings of the Spirit two weeks
previously, he would not have been aboard at the time of her final
catastrophe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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