The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-16
A MYSTERY OF THE AIR.
Being the Greatest Effort of Fundamentals,
Boss Ananias

' '"o UreatesC Effort of Inuianapolis'
Boss Ananias.
Inc wet weather drove all the men,
oerS CT the Ananias club into the roll
call room at the station house the other
night.
Tears rolled down Sergt. Buscber,s
face, and Patrolman States voice was
husky with emotion as he, the narrator
OF the evening, related an incident of his
early life.
men L was young man." began
tne patrolman, after lighting one of those
south Illinois street torches he generally
smokes, Il had friend named John A
Morrell. We were raised together ON
ADJOINING farms and were inseparable
companions. We left our rural homes
together and were fellow workmen in a
smoke factory at Pittsburg, and when I
secured job to fan fog on a steamboat
ne was made second cook on the same
boat. We boated together several years
and finally | shipped ON the Prairie Bird.
running between Cincinnati and Helena,
Ark. John could not get job on the
Pra1rle Bird, but wastaken or 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 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 uninterestine
until we reached Helena. The captain
was SICK, and was on the hurricane
aeck 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
deafening crash, and I knew the boiler
mad let go. I felt myself going up, up.
up. | haven't any idea how high I did
go. Three hours later, as was COMING
doWn-l was about a mile from the earth h
then-l met man and woman comino
up. The woman had hold of the mans
arm, and in his other hand he carried a
grip sack. l recognized him as nv old
friend. John A. Morrell.
Hello, john I shouted.
"'Well, Henry he answered. SIS that
-ou::'
Eyes, what's left of me. Who is that
With your - ''''''
oh, excuse me, Mr.. Slate. NV wife,
Glad to meet you, Mrs. Morrell,' saws
e just starting on your wedding trip
Yes, SIR she answered. She said
else, but was going so fast I
lld not catch it. When I struck ground
learned that the Diana had exploded
Ter boilers three hours after our explo-
ion, that Morrell and his bride were
landing on the boiler deck at the time 1
t the explosion. They were ready to 90 s
shore, but went up instead.
About three years after that I was SIT
ing IN the office of the Palace hotel at
an francisco. l picked up a Honolulu Il
aper and nearly dropped dead when I .
cad this paragraph: n
"A MYSTERIOUS ARRIVAL &C
ABOUT O'Clock this morning four persons snd "a
my appeared on the streets of this CITY, They IL
'uld not talk our language, and number of orr pr
's' CiIlzens nave assured us that they fell from n
e clouds The strange quartet made their way F,
Ine DIRTY Mike hotel, and we at once followed | FIR
EN- determined that our readers should be fullv fiC
Nlsed as to who or what these people are. The be
an walked up to the register and wrote in bold tr
md as follows: M
John A. Morrell, wife and two children, Mis-
,sippi river ri.
Later-We have been informed by Col .Jacl, tic
'wers that Mr.. Morrell and family are the sole on
rvVors OF the i'll fated Diana, which years ago te
ew up on the Mississippi river which is situated MI
the state OF Missouri near town called St. =
'us. we bid the strangers welcome
"Of course l tried to find Morrell. but
) letters came back unopened, and I
I'VE never seen him from that day to A
is. indianapolis News. III