The blowing up of the steamboat "Saluda" has often been mentioned as the only really serious catastrophe, resulting in loss of life to a company of migrating Saints in this age on a voyage. It is certainly very remarkable, in view of the many thousands of Saints in hundreds of vessels of all kinds that have crossed oceans and traversed rivers that so few have lost their lives upon the water. It is a very strong proof that the protecting power of the Almighty has been over them, for there have been numerous narrow escapes from disasters at sea. Indeed it has been so apparent that a special providence has been over the Saints that others as well as the Saints have been impressed by the fact. The remark has been made upon many occasions by ship owners and sea captains that a company of "Mormons," as passengers, was the best insurance they could have upon a vessel, as it was felt that nothing serious could happen to the craft while they were on board of it. A good many instances are on record of Latter-day Saint Missionaries being solicited to accept free passage on vessels for the protection it was felt their presence would afford. Doubtless one of the evidences that tends to convince sea captains that "Mormon" missionaries or emigrants are the subjects of divine favor and protection is the feeling of confidence and trust they usually exhibit when beset by danger, and when others quake with fear. The assurance of divine care that comes through the Holy Spirit is quite as potent in influencing their actions as is the warning of danger from the same source. The late President A. O. Smoot gives an instance of this in connection with his account of the "Saluda" horror. From the latter it will be seen that the Saints might have been saved from participating in that had the spirit's warning to him been heeded. "On my return from England in 1852, on board the new steamer "Pacific" we encountered a severe storm, in which the deck was swept clear of rigging, the deck cabin, one of the wheels, both wheel houses and the bulwarks. The steamer was entirely submerged in the sea at one time, and had she not been very well built she would never have come to the surface again. It looked like a precarious time, but I felt an assurance that the vessel would be saved, and in the midst of all the excitement which prevailed among the crew and passengers I felt quite calm. I had seventeen thousand dollars in gold in my possession, and I did not even fear that I would lose that. Our preservation, however, was certainly providential, for the vessel was in a terribly dilapidated condition, but we finally arrived safely in New York with the wrecked vessel, after a voyage of sixteen days.