The morning call., 1890-12-15
NARROW ESCAPES.
Banker Morosini's Adventures in
the Land of His Birth.

:" In the war for Italian independence,
while | was sighting gun manned by
sailors" said A. P. Morosini. "a shell ex-
ploded Immediately over us, killing nearly
all the guns crew. A fragment Of the shell
struck me on the head. l have the scar yet"
Here Mr. Morosini brushed from his lofty
brow the curling locks which are the envy
and the admiration of his friends, and ex-
posed TO view a deep and livid scar.
How long did you lie upon the field of
battle before you were carried to the hos
pital9" asked the reporter.
was carried npon stretcEer almost
Immediately TO a cot, answered Mr.. Moro
SIM.
-" II would have made the experience COM
plete If you had been left upon the scene of
battle all night" added the reporter re-
gretfully.
g see you wish had been killed." and
Mi: Morosini bristled up rather savagely.
Il like your style"
"Ob, no, don't. l should not have been
able to get this veracious history Of your ad-
ventures if you had been killed, you KNOW"
responded the reporter.
" In the city of Venice, where 1 was borp
ana where lived Tor many years" continued
the former partner of Jay Gould, ''the houses
OF the citizens open in their rear upon canals,
which form the great highways of the city;
their fronts, on the contrary, face on beauti-
fully paved streets which are always as clean
"
other American city. Consequently the
people walk along The middle OF the road,
and II they desire any more rapid means of
locomotlon they must take a gond0la and go
by canal.
when / was about seven or eight years
old used to take great delight in slipping
out OF the house and padding my hands in
the warm water of the canal, which flowed
beside the steps of my fathers house. He,
however, had strictly forbidden me to go out
these thinking fhnt that might
happen which actually did happen, for one
day boy considerably my senior in age, and
much my superior in strength, pushed me
into the water. In frantic terror | cried out
mamma! As opened my mouth itseemed
rs though half the water in the canal poured
down my throat. Its satiness strangled me-
A gasp, gurgle and sigh and conscious
ness deserted me
Just in the nick of time a gondola filled
with soldiers hove in sight, and its occu-
pants. warned by the shouts aud gesticula-
tons OF my terrified comrade. steered rapidly
TO the spot. A soldier promptly Invested
himself of his coat and boots and dived
after MY body. He came to the surface
alone, but he was one of those brave spirits
whom nothing can daunt; so, after tossing
the hair from his eyes and getting new
supply Of oxygen, he again sank to the bot
tom. This time, after cropping around in the
bottom on his hands and knees, he touched
my dress, and clutchng it, sprang toward
the surface, where eager hands hauled us
Into the boat. They stood me on my head
to let the water drain out Of my mouth. Ny
first sensation, remember, was burning,
scraping feeling, as though l were being
skinned alive. The soldiers were brushing
me with shoe-brushes, which were almost
as harsh as curry-combs, and incidentally
they scraped off a considerable amount of
skin. They put me to bed. and after little
while | had almost entirely recovered Then
my father arrived and proceeded TO take a
hand in. For disobeying orders he gave ME
the worst beating l ever received in all my
life. Pom my word, thought at the time it
would have been far better if they had let
me drOwn"-N Y World