The herald., 1893-06-12
BIG BLAST AT CATALINA ISLAND.
A Whole Mountain Side Jerked
Out by Powder.
The Spectacle Witnessed by Large
Excursion Party.
A Marriage at Sea OF Los Angeles Girl
One of the Events OF the Trip.
Captain Dornfeld
Officiates.

But few OF the 200 passengers on the
steamship Hermoss, bound for Catalina
leland from San Pedro yesterday, had
the slightest idea that a eure-enoush
romance was to be played in Capt. F. E..
Dornfeld'a cabin before the ship reached
Avalon, the most beautiful watering
place on the Pacific coast.
|. just before the ship cast off at the
San Pedro wharf, George Hayford, ESQ.,,
attorney for Bentley in his celebrated
murder trial, was noticed on the dock,
accompanied by his wife and 16year,
old daughter, Miss Belle Hayford. Close
in their wake came Alfred Chamberlin,
rather good-looking young man, with
bunch of orange blossoms in his but
ton hole over his left breast. The young
man also wore an uneasy expression
about the corners of his mouth before
the bar was crossed, but no one outside
OF few close observers suspected that
anything outside of sessickness was
troubling his mind.
The gallant captain Of the staunch lit
tie steamer had hardly descended from
the bridge before Meshrs. Heyford and
Chsmborlin came alongside and in
most mysterious manner led him into q
etsteroom and in stage whispers asked
if he could perform the marriage cere-
mony in 30 secret a manner that not
even a weekly society paper would
catch on"
Capt. Dornfeld replied that he
would do his best to keep the matter
quiet, but he was not aware that HER
AID reporter was within hearing when
the contract was entered into, hence be
will be thoroughly surprised should his
eye happen to fall on this item.
By the time the band was ready to
play the wedding march the noble Her
mosa was rolling in manner that sent
at least half OF her passengers to the
rails in anything but pleasant frame
OF mind. The heavy sea reached the
captains cabin at the same time and
each member OF the wedding party ex-
cept Capt. Dornfeld and O handsome
young man from San Francisco, who WAS
to witness the interesting ceremony, put
on green seaweed look under the eyes
and declared that freah air would be
more to their taste than wedding.
The bride was the last one to embrace
the rail, but che soon recovered and re-
turned to the jolly sea preacher, who
WAS standing, Bible in hand, patiently
waiting.
The ceremony was interrupted three
times by various members of the party
who needed fresh air. Finally the cap
tain declared Miss Belle Heyford the
legal bride OF Alfred Chamberlin.
THE BLAST.
The steamer reached the leland I2
miles above Avalon at IL 80 a. NJ, and
at II 40 the big blast was set off at
signal from Captain Dornfeld. This
was the main feature of the excursion,
and wss success in every sense Of the
word.
The blast was fred by little 10.year-
old son OF Hugh Vail from barge that
sat quarter of mile out at eea and
only abort distance from the Hermosa.
The mountain side had been tunneled
in for distance OF 40 feet from three
points and 100, 25 pound kegs OF powder
were properly distributed. For fully 10
minutes the whole mountain seemed to
be coming down and the roar of the i'm
mense boulders dropping into the sea
was so great that it was impossible to
hear one speak on Hhipboard, The rock
ia to be used by the government at the
San Pedro harhor.
The steamer reached Avalon at p.
m. and remained until o'clock, when
she started on the return trip to San
Pedro. The day WAS a most beautifui
one at Catalina, and if every excursion
ist did not enjoy himself then it was
his own fault. The Banning Bros. have
made many improvements at Avalon
during the past winter, which shows
that they intend to make this the most
popular watering place on the coast.