The morning call., 1891-03-11

head Of his New York Company for Life-hoat
Construction had led Captain Merton to de-
termine upon an outing across the Atlantic
during the present winter, which should
combine both business and pleasure. The
French Government had medals ana deco
rations awaiting him, and he found both
health and happiness upon the sea.
Captain Norton was such a veteran and
intrepid sailor that the Atlantic had few
terrors for him at any season. Indeed.
though born in the interior of New York
State. he was in command of a ship at u.
and his life lad been spent upon the waves
amid remarkable adventure and vieissitude.
He participated in the sepoy mutiny, being
in the service OF the British East Indian
Company; he fought the pirates in the China
seas; lie had ciIeled the globe several times
and crossed the Equator again aud again.
These incidents were seemingly enough
10 occupy Captain NOrton's sixty years of
existence, but he had found time 10 addition
10 serve on a whaling vessel, participate in
one OF two shipwTecRs and serve the United
States faithfully during the Rebellion.
For his last ocean trip lie determined upon
his namesake craft and personal property,
the Norton. Originally built for steam fit
tiugs. tile Norton had been yawl-rigged, with
foremost % feet, tOpmast % feet and mizzen-
topmast 40 feet. Her dimensions were 30
feet keel, 81 feet water line, IS feet over all,
beam y feet inches. depth feet inches,
mean draught 6 feet AZ inches. As yaw.
the yacht had weathered a fierce gale off
Cape Hatteras that developed marvellous
seagoing qualities as well as endurance, and
Captain Norton had implicit faith in his
little craft.
MADE INTO A STEAM YACHT
ar in u.oc fol IN
Wilmington, Del, and in the yards of Pusey
4 Jones made over into a steam Yacht for
the last Inflated voyage. The distinctive
feature OF Captain Notions lifeboat system
$ The use of double bottom and water bal
asst. In the Norton the double bottom was
divided into SIX ba Hast compartments lying
IN each side of the keel, extending around
he bends Each was tweDty-six inches
deep and five feet fore and aft, made of
galvanized iron framed in and cemented.
Into these tanks or ballast compartments
through a h lie in each close to the keel
water rushed VIII en- the boat was launched,
the air being forced into the uppe part of
the chamber and compressed and permitted
@ escape by automatic valves having OPEN
ings on the deck. Above the ballast cham
hers were Dramatically sealed air chambers
extending from foot below the Hater-lne
10 the deck. Captain Norton maintained
that the water was cushioned against the
air, and greatly increased the Tighting ac-
lion OF the vessel. The NortOn's ballast,
therefore consisted OF water, eight tons of
L, but while in a state of equilibrium it
weighed nothing, as she hoated on 1t. The
effect Of the system WAS TO make the boat
float on her inner bottom and sail on the
outer. Tie NOrton's cabin floor was water
tight with a bulkhead at each end. Con-
SeQueuty the bottom of the vessel and each
end might be stove ID and the cabin remain
dry. In this condition her enthusiastic
owner maintained she could sail thousands
Of miles in safety.
Early in November preparations for de-
partuTe were completed and the Norton,
anchored off Staten Island, attracted much
attention, but the weather off Sandy Hook
was very rough. so it was determined to
transfer the Norton TO New London aud
make that place the point of departure.
Il was there myself" said Secretary Viii
son 10 the reporter, land never saw Captain
Norton in better spirits. He had determined
20 10 take his wife and niece with him, and
such was his faith in his tiny craft that he
declared he took his family berause he
wanted to know they were safe. The cap
tain went down by rail on Saturday to bid
gO0d-by to his son, a boy of 10, in school at
Greenwich, and all day Sunday the Norton
lay at New London, visited and examined
. and discussed by New London SHIPPERS who
shook their heads dOubtfully, and but for
other successful trips would have seriously
doubted the feasibility of this one.
Monday. the day of departure, was n
beautiful November DAY not an arrange
ment was incomplete. The supplies on
board were eight tons of coal, one ton last
ing three days, $50 gallons Of water and
provisions for ten people thirty-fve days
Captain Francis l.. Norton himself com
manded the little vessel, his passengers be-
. ing Mrs. Norton and their niece, Miss Anna
Rckahy, is years old. The others on board
were the engineer Mencelis and an assis-
taut, sailing master and two Swedish sea-
'men, a steward and cabin-bOY. A bout 3
O'Clock we waved farewell to the little YES
sci as she headed down the Thames in sight
of large crowd. What has happened since
the staneh little craft put to sea-" concluded
. Mr.. Wilson, sadly, mo one knows. Captain
Norton figured that he could readily progress
200 miles a day. and by putting into the
Azores replenish his coal and then proceed
to the Mediterranean and his destination,
TOul0n.'
SAILED AWAY.
The little craft sailed away into the mys-
ferrous keeping Of the ocean, and nothing
has since been heard of vessel or crew
Word came in December that she had been
sighted off Algiers, but investigation proved
the report to be the fiimsiest Of rumors.
Inquiries have been made at foreign mari
time exchanges, and the State Department
has sent out circulars to United States Con-
suls, but all with no result. Nothing has
been seen of the Norton at Fayal or st.
Mlchaels, in the Azores. The letter of
credit which the captain took with him Is
stll GDdrawn.
The fact may as we'll be faced" said
Secretary Wilson, ''that the vessel is prob