Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-09-20
From the Chicago Daily Journal.
PerilOus vOyagc--WOnderfuI
L prnG nrusH 4 snsx
Preservation.

Yesterday at 10 o'clock, we received
a private Telegraphic dispatch from
Michigan City, announcing the wonder
ful rescue of Captain Geo. Dawson o
the schooner General Thornton, who
was picked up by the steamer Julius ID
Morton, about Ii o'clock, yesterday NOR.
ming, four miles out from Michigan City
On the night of the 3Oih of August, the
schooner capsized about six miles east
OF this city, and from that time, until the
morning of the 9th OF October, a pc.
Rod Of sac days and eleven hours, iha
lone voyager floatedupon three fragments
of spars which he had succeeded in
flashing together.
During all those long hours--how long,
none blu. himself can tell, he drifted and
tossed upon the waste oil waters.
s.Mom came and went. and came,
But brought no.
relief. Once the sail of the disabled
brig Mechanic gaddened his strained
and aching vision, like the wing of an
angel of rescue, but the vessel with its
powerless crew swept by, and left him
tossing there still, like driftwood upon
the deep.
He saw the steamer Morton pass and
.repass, vibrating between the shores, a
huge pendulum, each swing making one
long moment in his weary life. The
night of the fifth, she passed so near,
that she rocked his little raft, and he fear
ed would whe'm him in an unknown,
and riteess grave. Amid the plash of
of wheels and the rush of waves, his
feeble voice was unheard, and once more
he was left alone, with lingering Time.
And yet with nought beneath him but
grave, and naught above but tie hollow
dome Of sky, he kept strong heart with
in, beating, hoping STILL
During all that period. he took no sus-
tenance; his limbs were bruised between
the clashing spars, and lie had sucked
the flesh from the fingers OF one Of his
hands.
Yesterday morning, from the deck of
the Morton, they saw an object swimming
npon The waters, and diminished by dis
tance, they fancied il sea gui, but as
/, they nearcd it, the speck enlarged, resell
we'd itself into driftwood--spars, and final
ly, human form. The 'lone mariner"
seemed TO be engaged in adjusting the
lashings- he was taken up, and then for
the first time, the strong spirit that had
/, sustained him thus exposed, without
morsel Of food, for length of time suf-
ficient 10 have borne him two thirds of
the distance across the Atlantic, sunk; his
strength was gone-na.ure had done its
giant work, and '.he was even as other
men
We saw him this morning, on board
the Morton, and with the kind care
which awaits him at his home in this
city, but few hours ago, deemed desc
late, he VIII live TO sail another day, and
recount the story of his six days beating
between that world and this.
A day or two since, with characteris-
tic generosity, numherof sailors in port,
surprising their missing comrade had
gone aloG, made up purse Of some six.
~ dollars for his family. and we were
pleased 10 see upon the desk al the rail-
road Office, a second subscription paper,
for the "lost found headed by Captain
Hopkins of the Morton, his officers and
crew, ard large number Of other per-
sons. and though bot just drawn up. al
ready amounting 10 one hundred dollars.
Altogether il is one of the most peril
Gus voyages and remarkable rescues, ev-
er noted in the Log Book OF our lake
!. navigation.