Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-03-08
HERES M. BOSS WHopptR,

Beversl Years I'm Midair Blown Up In nm
Explosion.
indianapolis News.
The wet weather drove all the mem
bers Of the Ananias club into the roll
call room OF the station house the other
night.
There were some heavy hearts, for NJ
more will there be domino playing at
the station house. When Willie Bill
Long wants TO entertain Sergeat Lowe
he will have to play pins. just n
game was played--a sort of farewell
send-or.
Tears rolled down Sergeant Buscher's
face, and Patrolman States voice was
husky with emotion as he, the narrator
OF the evening, related an incident Of
his early life.
"When was a young man." began
the patrolman, after lighting one OF
those south Illinois street torches he
generally smokes, II had a friend named
John A. Morrell. We were raised to-
gether on adjoining farms, and were in
separable companions. We left our
rural homes together, and were fellow
workmen in a smoke factory at Pitts
burg, and when ! secured a Job to fan fog
on o steamboat he was made second
cook on the same boat. We boated to-
gether several years, and finally /
shipped on the Prairie Bird. running
between Cincinnati and Helena, Ark.
John could not get q job on the Prairie
Bird, but was taken on the Diana, an
eight-boiler boat, In the same trade as
the boat | was on.
"We left Cincinnati three hours ahead
Of the Diana with a general cargo. John
promised TO join me in Helena and bring
his wife with him-he was TO be married
that day. Our cruise was uninteresting
until we reached Helena. The captain
waa~-sick and l was on the hurricane
deck as we made the landing. The bow
lines had been made fast, i had notified
the pilot, when ! felt the boat tremble;
the air was thick with steam, there was
a d~eafening crash and / knew the boiler
had let go. / felt myself going up, up,
up. I haven't any idea how high / did
60. Three hours later, as I was coming
down. was about a mile from the
earth them met a man and a woman
coming up. The woman had hold Of the
mans arm, and in his other hand he car
ried q gripsack. / recognized him as
my old friend, John A. Morrell.
Hello, john ! shouted.
We'll, Henry he answered, is that
your .
that with your
oh, excuse me, Mr.. Slate. Ny
wife,
"'Glad to meet you, Mrs. Morroll,
says l. Just starting on your wedding
trip
Ives, sir, she answered. She said
something else, but I was going so fast
! did not catch It. When l struck
ground I learned that the Diana had
exploded her boilers three hours after
our explosions; that Morrell and his
bride were standing on the boiler deck
at the time OF the explosion. They
were ready to go ashore, but went W
instead.
About three years after that I was
sitting In the office OF the Palace hote
at San Francisco. I picked up O Homo
lulu paper and nearly dropped dead
when l read this paragraph:
MYSTERIOUS ARRIrAL.
About 7 o'clock this morning fou'
persons suddenly appeared on tn
streets Of this city. They could no
talk our language, and a number of GU
best citizens have assured US that the!
were from the clouds. The strang'
quartet made their way 70 the Dirt,
Nike hotel, and We at once followed
them, determined that our reader
should be fully advised as to who o
What these people are. The man walke'
up TO the register and wrote in a boil
hand as follows:
John A. Morrell, wife and two chill
dren, Mississippi River"
Later-We have been informed b.
Colonel Jack Bowers that Mr.. Morrell an,
family are the sole survivors Of the i'll
Szted Diana, which years ago blew II
on the Mississippi river, which is stu
ated in the state OF Missouri, near
town called St. Louis. We bid tn
strangers welcome.
'NOf course / tried TO find Morrell, bu
nv letters came back unopened. Pnd
have never seen Aim LUA4 that aay |
khfs"