The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-04

:sss Ssl,i y 8. q. J. ). 4

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M. On ran Bay, HAY i. 1870.
J, liIsseda ay. beautiful weather and deair,
W pok Upon that noblcst OF bays the Chess
$500 asa, I pave made trip to Baltimore,
pi,.s Wig richmond ut O'Clock by the Yorl,
NV, ~ fa'lroad, took passage Mt West Point
WI Wr nic stelslier State Of Virginia, CAPTAIN t.
J, " r,re,einan, and departing from West Point
wv o elock, reached Baltimore at s A. Al, tho
~. neAs gay. The voyage was delightful. anf,
lent. y Sis sa WAS excel
~, sum TOO highly recommend this pleas
anS ionte 70 travellers. The railroad mart q,
~, , 20 snoi., ana from the level country If
.srsss ~ ~ very easy and agreeable. The
t,na u captain straughan, is very atten-
, Wv. anu slg'iant, aud the passenger feels
n,riat .nac ~ ~ ease IN his charge. AS COM
,,n, astne railway part Of the route L.
We're at ease In mine inn ''-,ny f,oat;re, T., ~
the me aud swift steamer Virginia Sh ,''
officers make all their guests entirely ~ 49,"
captain freeman Ia UNSURPASSED fn,. =; :.
obliging attentions, while he preserves IN th ',
quictest manner the most perfect ordar ' ~,
his boat. He is the officer who Some tim
ago met with the sad accident that WIS s,,,,.
posed ut the time would terminate fatallv
Ills boat had just arrived in the port of Balt;.
more While dense fog prevailed. The most
active vigilance was required to avoid acct.
dents and the Captain, moving RAPIDLY from
the wheel-housc, with the object of speaking,
from the sky-lightt to the engineer below. fell
striking his head violently upon the deck,
This stunned and confused him in such de.
gree that he moved ut random, rs It were,
and instead of going to the sky-ight, he
placed his head in the slit in the deck up and
down, which the iron frame of the great en-
CINE moves. The lower crosS-heam Of iron,
four inches in diameter. struck him
on the back Of the head and drove
his face down upon the edge of the slit, cut
ting it across ut the bridge Of the nose SO
that the interior down to the throat was cN-
posed to view. His right eye WAS forced out.
He fell back horribly stunned and disti.urcd,
and craWlcd some fifteen feet "att. Where :,
line of buckets filled with water stood, and
when discovered was bathing his face wit!
the water. Ii was thought ic could not pos
Sibly long survive his terrible misfortune.
But he had AL iron constitution and dit,
after Il few weeks, lccovtr, and in time re-
Sumcd his command. Ii was the most " OIL
dcrful recovery, think, / have ever known,
unless that Of SnOWdcn Andrews may lie
yet a little more surprising. lie was disenl-
boWellcd on the battlefield while command
Ing battery fighting for the southern cause,
and is said to have Geen neglected altogether
by the surgeons, who thought they We're
under especial obligation to attend first to
those who had some chance 10 recover. BY
the way, learn that this gallant officer will
probably become citizen of Richmond. No
man deserves more the cordial welcome OF
the people of Virginia.
Captaln Freeman was once the handsomest
man you would meet on May day. His fea-
lures are now so married that one who knew
him before the sad accident which befell him
would not know him; but there is that kind
expression of his true nature, his tranknesS
and generous disposition, that makes him
now, if not comedy, at least prepoSSessing, by
his manners. He is most faithful and COM
petent officer. He is seconded by the pllrseI
Mr.. Biddlc, man Of systematic turn and
marked conciliatory disposition. The pas
Senger never fails of comfort and all needed
information for want of attention from this
very worthy gentleman.
The York river is very singular tidal
stream. 1t is so straight and has such stliE-
ing shores. For navigation it is admirable.
Its waters abound in fish and oysters. and
they yield great wealth to the fisherman. On
the graceful hills overlooking its broad Wa
ters are the residences of many persons O!
independent means who came there since the
war to conduct the fish and oyster trade.
Besides. the business Of trucking and fruit
raising is extending along its shores, and in
ten years from now the steamers will lind a
large freghting business in the products Of
York river and its borders. The Common
wealth will find It's wealth and resources III
that time greatly increased from this fruitful
source.
The steamboat voyage Oh this river and on
that grnndest Of bays the Chesapeake, is en-
ccedingly gratifying. The passenger on the
bay enjoys all the eXhilarating influences ofthc
ocean. while he has the security Of handbook
ed sea, where storms of severity rarely occur.
Looking from the steamers deck you behold
now one broad cxpanse Of gliStening salt-wa-
ter gracefully undulating from the pressure OF
the gentle breeze, the horizon joined to the
water. Anon appears line Of trcc-tops,
looking like garden hedge but it is broken
by water passages through it, glimmering
away to 4 union with the clouds. Again the
shore comes nearer, and you sec the tall trees
and steep bank bounding the water. These,
with the bright waves and occasional glimpScs
Of the inhabitants OF the deep. especially the
porpoisc, maintain continued interest for the
inland dwellcr and make the voyage delight
full. 1t is at once interesting, free from dust.
cool and refreshing even liz summer.
G. & F. c.