When the Trumpet Sounds
by
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The final few seconds in the life of the great ship became a terrifying sight. The hull was now almost horizontal to the surface. Suspended momentarily on the waves, it hovered for a few seconds, and then, commenced sinking from sight. It was as if a destructive monster from the river bottom had reached upward and pulled the ship into its depths. Beneath, the water was a hundred and fifty feet deep. The vacuum-like pull created by the ship's descent, sucked people in the water near the hull into the vortex of the funnelling sea, which boiled and foamed in a great caldron of people, debris, and bodies. Many went down and were never seen again. Others pulled themselves free and surfaced three or four times, before they were finally free of the violent suction. Frantic people who were unable to swim dragged others under. In the pitch darkness, terror was supreme.
Within minutes, the only reminders of the massive ship were the floating wreckage and the people bobbing about helplessly in the pitch-black seas. Their faces contorted with shock, their eyes wide with uncontrollable fear, they floated in the oily water, which stung their submerged cuts and bleeding wounds. They collided painfully with the sides of the lifeboats, boxes that were half-submerged, as well as oars and other broken objects.
By now, the fog had mostly disappeared and the lights of the "Storstad" were visible to those struggling in the water. Its crew now realized what had occurred. They were able to hear the great swelling tide of the voices of the men, women and children pleading for someone to save them.
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About the Book
I is the first decade of the twentieth century in England’s Dorset County. Fighting Billy Mercer is considered an incorrigible scalawag by the villagers of Comstock. Particularly known about town for his pranks on the pious Reverend Wilmot, the mischievous Billy is fiercely protective of his younger brother, Zack—his constant companion and best friend. As he grows older and experiences the hard knocks of life, Billy comes to realize there will be many things he will wish for that will never come true. Playing the trumpet is one of them.
After challenging economic conditions force his family to immigrate to Toronto, Canada, Billy eventually attends a local Salvation Army church, where he happily trades his fists for a trumpet. Ecstatic that he is finally able to realize his passion for music, Billy eagerly invites The Salvation Army into his young life. As Billy seeks answers to the universal mysteries of life and God, he receives guidance from his mentor and bandmaster without any idea that an unforeseen disaster is about to change everything.
When the Trumpet Sounds is the emotionally powerful story of an immigrant family, their struggles to survive in their new life in Canada, and their attempts to understand God’s will.
About the Author
Doug Taylor has researched, studied, and taught the history of Toronto for several decades. He was a member of the faculty of Lakeshore Teachers’ College (York University) and the Ontario Teacher Education College. Now retired, he lives in Toronto.