Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-05-19
THE ELEANOR.

recently launched at Bath, Me. The
Eleanor is owned by William A. Slater
of Norwich, Conn, one of the best
known of American yachtsmen and will
cost when completed something like
$500, 600. The sum seems large to Ordi-
nary people, but it is mere bagatelle
to Mr. Slater, who inherited many mil
lions from his father, the late philan-
thropist, John Fox Slater, who created
trust fund of $1,000, 900 for the edu-
cation of the negroes of the south. The
foundations of the Slater fortune were
laid by an uncle of John Fox Slater,
Samuel Slater, all English mechanic, who
stole the Arkwright spinning machine
and started the first cotton mills in the
United States at Pawtuclzet, r. l. Mr..
Slater, whose great hobby is yachting,
has planned a two years trip around the
world that leaves the Vanderbilt voyage
far in the background. On his old yacht,
the Sycamore, he visited almost every
port in the world, but in his new vessel
he expects to visit some of the more re-
mote and less civilized countries aside
from the usual track of globe trotters
He will be accompanied on his voyage
by his wife, his two children, few
chosen friends, a physician, governesses
and retinue of servants, besides the
yachts crew of Sc men and four ap-
prentices, whom he will carry along to
learn navigation and seamanship. The
cost of the cruise, for maintenance of
the yacht, supplies, wages, ETC., will be
at least 5000, 000 and it is likely that
large additional amounts of money will
be spent for the entertainment of visit
ors and on inland journeys to points of
interest.
If the Eleanor is completed in time,
she will leave New York on June 49,
steaming direct to Norway, where Mr..
Slater's party will spend this summer.
After visit to st. Petersburg the plan
of the journey contemplates trip
through the Mediterranean, with stops
at French and Italian ports, and an in
definite stay i'll the Holy Land and
Egypt. Passing through the Suez canal,
the Eleanor will cruise southwark along
the coasts Of Zanzibar and Mozambique
and around Madagascar and thence
across to India, where Mr.. Slater ex-
poets to spend next winter. The summer
of 1895 will be spent in Chinese and
Japanese waters, and the following win
ter among the South Sea islands, whence
the yacht will steam to the Sandwich
Islands, San Francisco and back to New
York around Cape Horn.
That the Eleanor is we'll equipped for
such voyage goes without saying The
statcrooms, main saloon, dining room,
music room, library, social hall and
chi 1HTpJ) g finished o1l1 fI1r-
nished in a manner superior to those of
any other yacht afoat not excepting
the Valiant. The yacht has a fine cleo
trio light plant, including powerful
searchlight, and electric bells; also an
icemaking machine, and cold storage
rooms, and an apparatus for distilling
salt water.
She will also carry several gatling
and other rapid firing guns and can
non OF two, and her crew will be trained
to use them in case the vessel should
arouse the hostility or cupidity of pirat-
ical navigators around Madagascar Or
the Chinese coast. Such vessel as the
Eleanor would make a rich booty for
those Wrctchos, and Mr.. Slater intends
to run as few risks as possible.
Anthony J. Drexel of Philadelphia is
also preparing for cruise around the
world i'll the steam yacht Margarita,
which he has had fitted out at Marseilles
in the most luxurious manner. He will
be accompanied by party of male
friends and expects to be gone about Is
months. Mr.. ]. H. Laden, the owner
of the Columbia, which was recently
launched in Philadelphia, has made
plans to start on tour Of the world as
soon as his vessel is ready, and Mrs.
Lucy Carnegie expects to steam away to
foreign shores in her steel yacht, the
Dungeness, some time in the early fall,
shortly after the yacht club races