I have a friend teaching a course on Rivers in Literature, and it
obviously includes "Life on the Mississippi."  He has become interested in
the disaster of the "Sultana"--the worst maritime wreck in US history in
which a Confederate ship carrying US POWs exploded with over 1800 lives
lost.  He wonders if Mark Twain ever cited this.  I don't recall any such
reference, and the disaster occured in 1865 shortly after Lee's surrender,
which may have shoved the disaster onto the back pages.  That and the fact
that Mark Twain was in Nevada may have precluded his knowing about the
event.  I told Henry I would ask the forum if anyone knows such a
reference, and this marks that question.  As always, thanks to the
wonderfully knowledgeable people on the forum.

dennis eddings