Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-28
AN OLD NAVIGATOR.

Disposed to CaviI at Mr. Norton's
Story and Gives What He Considers
are Various Inconsistencies-Vi
From an Old Sailors Standpoint.
Tothe Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Permit an old navigator, who was out in
vessel on the sound on the afternoon and
night that young Norton was first missed,
and who was also out there all dsy the
next day, to say that he finds the nautical
parts of the young mans story exceedingly
conflicting according to his Impressions.
On that Friday night and all the day fol-
lowing instead CT Its being windy there
was no wind at all worth speaking of, and
sail vessels were either becalmed or had
hard wo'k to make any Roadway at all.
Hence the piratical sloop that Mr.. Norton
speaks of would have been in the same fix
ss regards making Roadway and would
have been In sight for twenty-four hours
as many other vessels which were waiting
for the wind to rise; and could not have
got to the head of the sound at
all in the time specified. Then,
too, take the story as to the Sunday
following. On that Sunday when, accord
ing to young Norton, he parted company
with the robbsr pirates (who must have
provided him, in the kindness of their
hearts, with another suit of clothes) the
wind rose to gale, and what young Nor
ton could have done, single-handed and
set is mystery to me and all my sea cap
tain friends, who have talked the matter
over. How could he have rsefed the sails
and minded the rudder also, especially in
gales If he did not reef, the sails must
have been blown to tatters, and as the d.
rection of the wind was northeast he must
inevitably, according to his own story as
to the location of the vessel at the time,
have baen blown to the Long island shore
There would have been no escape from
that. Then, too, the idea of one man sail
ing vessel alone, out on the Atlantic,
day after day, for over week!
And then just think also of that fearful
Thursday, when the big ughtship at At
lantic City was lost in the terrific waves
and five of the men were swept to watery
grave-and in this terrible commotion on q
raging sea young Norton was for seventeen
hours, according to his story, exposed to
all the fury of the elements, battling single
handed with only piece of plank or board
to support him. I beg.pardon most hum
bly, of the young man If 1 am wrong but
when such a wierd story-an artistic one 1
will admits put forth 1t is a man'a privi-
lege to doubt and cavil a little.
Nevertheless, We are all glad the
young man is alive and If he has
proofs to support his wonderful tale, for
one will admit that he ia the hero of one
of the most marvellous sea tales of escape
and adventure in modern times that |
have heard of. 1t equals almost any Of |
the tales Of the sea that have read to be-
guile time away when off on the trackless |
ocean on distant voyages that have made. |
And, by the way, saw off New Haven /
harbor that piratical craft OF the one
which presume Norton saw. At any
rate the one saw answers well the de-
scription given of the craft by young Nor
ton. Tbs one saw off New Haven hsr-
Dor was somewhat pirstioal looking I'll
admit, but it had, I should think, twenty
young fellows on board, and they had
AXE and wine on deck and were enjoying.
themselves with 1t, having high old
lime when I saw them. NAVIGATOR.