The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-06-19
THE MISSING STEAMER CITY OF GLASGOW
AN AFFECTING STORY.

AN AFFECTiNG STORY.
The Jersey Blue has the following affecting story
During the latter part of our career in the Phila
delphia post office, we became acquainted, among
the mass ofhuman beings whose faces appeared
daily at the General Delivery Window" where we
were stationed, with intelligent, happy looking
Englishman, of about forty five years of age, who
came frequently to inquire for letters from home
He was man OF pleasing manners, and evidently
had been well educated and accustomed to the re-
finements and elegancies of really good society,"
Being stranger on our shores, he glad to avail
himself of opportunity versing with us and
spoke freely of his past and OF his hopedor future
He had come over to Philadelphia, bringing with
him little con, apparently about twelve years of
age to select residence for the rest OF his family
which he had left in England and to make all the ar
rangements necessary to their comfort when they
should arrive He had accomplished ths-had ia
ken and furnished house in Philadelphia, and was
| expecting letters from his wife, informing him of
her sailing with their other children in the steamer
City of Manchester.
We handed him letter-it spoke of her expec-
| tation to sail in that steamer, and went away with
such glad anticipations as might be supposed to fill
the heart of husband and father long absent from
| the wife and children whom he soon expected to
meet and embrace again. few days passed, and
another foreign mail arrived and with 1t letter to
our friend from his wife, saying that she had not
been able to make her arrangements in time to sail
in the Manchester, but that she should certainly
sail in the Glasgow. Some time after this, letters
came, which she had mailed at the time of embark
ing IN this ship, and now he was unspeakably hap
py with the almost certainty OF seeing his vile and
children in a very few days for the New York mail
steamers generally make the passage but few
days sooner than our screw steamers. Soon he,
with many others, commenced going down every
day to Queen street wharf to look for the incoming
steamer.
But who shall speak of the horrors to Gomez Day
after day did he. with the many others on that sad
walk go down to the wharf and strain his vision to
descry among the numerous vessels down the river
the anxiously expected steamer. We saw him
when the vessel had been some thirty days out, and
were startled at his appearance. The plump, hap
Ply seeming face OF one month before was haggard
as the face of DEATH the eyes that shortly before
we had seen dance in the light ofinward Joy were
bloodshot, wild, and glaring upon with maniac
expression He walked rnopingly away, but his
face haunted US still few days after this steam
er arrived bringing the report that vessel some
what resembling the Glasgow had been seen ffthe
| bahamas; this report brought him to US again. Oh,
how that false hope had frightened his counter
ance His eyes had regained their expression of
intelligence, and he chung to this baseess hope as
drowning man to a straw.
We left the post Office few days after this. Yes
terday we inquired concerning this wretched man.
and was told that he lad been for some time in the
lunatic asylum, raving maniac. May God reward
him la eternity