Evening journal., 1911-04-14
Missing
By JONATHAN c. MURRAY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

sees the American flag at the peak OF
an ocean vessel, just before the civil
war we were fast absorbing the carry
ing trade of the world. Steam hadn's
then displaced sails as It has almost
entirely done today. and our clipper
sailing ships were the finest and fast
est on the seas.
In 1864 l WIS third mate on one Of
these ships. We were bound for Hong
kong at the time of which / am speak
ing. having sailed from New York.
There was no Suez canal in those days,
and we were obliged 10 go around the
Cape OF Good Hope We were ap-
preaching the South African coast
when we overhauled a derelict
A derelict Is always an interesting
object plunging helplessly about among
the waves with no hand TO even at
tempt 10 guide her Then ones curl
osity it always excited as to why and
how she was left by those who we're
on her, and the imagination gets to
work at once Our captain hove TO
and said 60 me:
"Mr Morton. take boat, go aboard
OF her and investigate Take tools to
scuttle her and powder TO blow her up,
as the case may require"
was much pleased at the order,
and It was not long before was
aboard the derellct. / found a good
deal OF daInage done ON deck, evident.
ly by storm. A number OF the lights
had been broken, and the seas had
drenched the cabin. Everything was
I'm confusion as II those ON board had
been under great excitement. In ono
OF the staterooms hanging against the
wood partition was daguerreotype oi
a girl evidently seventeen or eighteer
years old. The happy young face wal
great contrast with the wrecked con
ditlon OF things about. / took It from
/ its hook and put It in the p0cket of ml
pea jacket
couldn't make out anything abou
ihe identity of the craft Some Of tn
boards Of the stern where the nam
was painted had been knocked OF ap
parently by the waves, while other let
ters were illeglble. The letters lef
; were:
RT A 81 @ o
made copy Of them. giving tn
proportionate spaces between them
But there was nothing else aboard L
, identify the snip. She had been knock
ed about by wind and waves so lon
that her inside was pretty well wash
p ed out. / put fifty pounds Of powde
r IN her, attached a fuse. lighted Il an
r pulled away from her. Before W
e reached the ship there was an expl'
d sion and she sank.
q AS soon as I went OF duty, choosiu
a secluded spot. took the daguerre
y type out OF my pocket TO have nnoth
look. There's nothing remarkable in
young sailor out at sea on a long vo
I age making a companion OF q cir
al picture and falling in love with It.
any rate. this is what / did
ic On our way back / determined
e. hunt through tho whole OF Nor
IS America 10 find the flesh and blo
ID that corresponded with my llkenes
We had n quick voyage, but not qul,
enough for me. though n hunt for n
would be like looking Cor a needle
- a haystack. Nevertheless as soon :
u we reached our home port ! went
l. work. overhalllng the records OF a
C the ships reported lost. But / foun
so many OF them that despalred {
hitting on the right one. If ! coul
supply the missing letters 10 the ship
name ! might get into communicate
with some one who could tell me abor
1 my girl But this seemed impossible
made a list Of all ships reporte
missing and compared my letters wit
their names. but l must have bee
: very stupid. for couldn't make the
&c with any Of the names on my list.
Two years later. while on the Ne
England coast, | went ashore wit
some OF my mates to enjoy ourselv'
I'm a summer garden. We had hard
got seated when saw at neighbo
'y ing table the original Of my pictur
lu She looked up and, seeing me stariI
81 at her with n singular expression. loo
rt ed embarrassed; but when arose. toe
y the dagueneotype from my pocket
s. always carried II with me-and hand'
D. her her own picture ! thought 81
DO would faint.
e. "Where did you get that?" she aske
flushing and turning pale alternately.
Oh "Is II your llkenessT I asked.
Oh "Yes."
70 "Are you sureY
~ Il know 1t by the dress and by Il
NJ artists name stamped upon the casin
iy 1t was taken four years ago. I ga
ne It to my brother just before he sail'
e. on his last voyage"
I'd "In what shipw
en- "The Martha Washington"
took out my pocketbook ana DIRE
3 from It the original memorandum
~ !, the letters left on the derelicts steI
az They fitted In exactly with the nar
IS. the girl had given me.
e. "What became Of herT l asked.
It "She was never heard from"
or I told her Of the derelict | had Wis
ed and OF the finding of the daguerr
type In a staterOom that had dou
less been her brothers.
re- was the means Of publishing
DO fate Of a ship that had been on
~ list OF missing vessels for four yea
~ ~ thus giving the relatives Of those L
~ on her the arst and only informatl