Democratic Messenger

A "DIPPER'S" DEATH.

A singular incident occurred last Sunday night on board the steamer Maggie during her trip down the bay. Robert Boston, mate, and Scott Tull, quartermaster of steamer, were in the pilot house about midnight when everything was quiet on board, the only sound to be heard being the steady plash of the wheels and the low rumble in the engine room. Suddenly and without warning one of the heavy panes of glass in the front of the pilot house was splintered into fragments, which fell jingling to the floor, some of them striking the steering wheel. The unexpected shattering of the glass startled both men at the wheel, who supposed a shot had been fired at them. Seizing a bull's-eye lantern from the shelf, Mr. Boston flashed the light upon the forward deck. No one was there, however, which dispelled his suspicion and he stepped to return the lantern to its position when the light falling upon the floor, revealed a dark object lying at the rear of the deck. Upon looking closer the gentleman discovered it to be the dead and crushed body of a "dipper" duck. In the darkness the fowl had not been able to discern the vessel was too late to avoid her, and plunged at full speed through the glass, breaking a round hole bigger than its head, and striking against the bulkhead behind the wheel was crushed to death,--Balto. Sun.