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- Dennis C. Morton - 1858 - November 13, 1941. William and Arvilla Wright Morton. Husband of Mary C. Courteville. Section 3, Row 16.
Newspaper Obituary - Saturday, November 15, 1941 Oswego Palladium Times - Oswego, New York - Dennis Morton, Hero Of Marine Rescue, Is Dead - Helped Save Crew and Passengers From Steamer Phinney, Aground On Ford Shoals - Pulaski, November 15 - Dennis Morton, oldest son in a family which has made history in sailing and fishing in Lake Ontario, and hero of one of the most thrilling rescues recorded in Oswego marine circles, died Thursday evening. While he had not been in good health for some time, few of his many friends knew that he was seriously ill. After training as a fisherman out of Port Ontario, Mr. Morton enlisted as a young man in what was then known as the Life Saving service, now a part of the U. S. Coastguard, and was assigned to the Oswego Station, then under the command of Capt. John Blackburn, father of the late Robert G. Blackburn, for many years chief of Oswego Fire department. During the fall in the early 80's the Oswego crew was notified by a breathless farmer who had driven into the city, that a large steamer was aground on Ford Shoals, five miles west of Oswego, and apparently a large number of people were in imminent danger of drowning. High seas made it impossible for the crew to proceed by water and a surfboat, then the standard equipment, was loaded on wheels and drawn up the lake shore to a point on Snake Swamp opposite the wreck. By this time there were many people on the shore watching the stricken vessel and with the aid of volunteers and the regular crew a number of attempts were made to launch the boat. Each time before it passed the huge breakers the boat was capsized and the crew thrown into the water. Finally when several had been slightly injured and all were suffering from exposure, the quest had to be abandoned. Capt. Blackburn, however, was determined to save the people on the steamer and back at the station was a new so-called "English" life boat, a non-sinkable, non-capsizable craft which was to be the forerunner of present day boats in the service. He took his crew back to Oswego and called for volunteers to man this boat. All who were not injured reported, including Mr. Morton. The services of the tug Charley Ferris, long a landmark in Oswego harbor, were obtained, and after a heart breaking battle against head winds, the life boat landed in a position to the leeward of the wreck. From this point they were able to make the rescue, several nerve wracking trips being necessary, according to Mr. Morton's recollection. The steamer was the George C. Phinney, bound from Chicago to Oswego with passengers and cargo. Mr. Morton recalled that the steamer lay on the rocks at the shoals all that winter, but was so protected by ice that she did not suffer too great damage and in the spring was successfully hauled off. Mr. Morton had a number of years in the Life Saving service and took part in many rescues, including several under the Fort banks at Oswego, under the command of Capt. George Anderson, but none as thrilling or dangerous as that at Ford Shoals. For a number of years he had lived on a little farm on the Scenic highway between Port Ontario and the entrance to the State Park, with his wife, who died a few months ago. He was born at Port Ontario and was in his 84th year. He was a son of William and Arvilla Morton, pioneer residents of that hamlet who lived to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary, the oldest married couple in northern New York at the time of their death a few years ago. While he had been away much of the time during his early years, he had always retained a home in the neighborhood of Port Ontario. He was a member of Pulaski lodge 648, IOOF. He is survived by two sons, Ray Morton of Buffalo, and Glen Morton who is in the Coast Guard service at Fairport, Ohio; and two brothers, Alonzo and William Morton of Port Ontario. Funeral services will be held at his late home Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, conducted by the Rev. W. Raymond Rogers and the Odd Fellows lodge. Burial will be in Daysville cemetery.
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1858 - 1941 (83 years)
d. 25 Nov 1932, Richland Twp., Oswego County, New York