The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-04-16
CAPTAIN SLOCUM AND THE SPRAY.
ITO be ct the Pan-Amsrican exposition.]

their lives to sailing the seas and
know their varying moods. and they
one and all regard it as most remark
able exploit.
Captain Slocum and the boat In
which he made his around the world
voyage will be at the Pan American
Exposition next summer. The craft
will ride upon the waters of the Beau
tiful Park Lake, where 1t may be view
ed or boarded by Exposition visitors
That it will prove to be a great at
traction goes without saying.
The intrepid Yankee globe circler Ia
q slender man. not above the medium
height and is somewhat bald. but there
is little gray in the fringe of surviving
hair or in his full beard He has blue
eyes, which are frank and direct He
possesses a dry humor which is very
amusing. That be is daring and plucky
Is attested by his long and solitary
triD.
The boat in which Captain Slocum
made his voyage Is named the Spray.
It was originally fishing boat SUD-
posed to be a century old. and when 1t
came into Captain Slocum's possession
was in process of decay. Unaided, he
rebuilt it upon the original lines, and
the splendid manner in which 1t behav-
ed on the long tour Is sufficient ev1-
dence that he builded well.
Captain Slocum sailed from Boston
on April "a. 1895, and his voyage con-
sumed 8 years and 2 months, coming to
a close during the Spanish Amerlcan
war. In lieu of cbronometer be had
an old tin clock, but he was rarely at
fault in his longitude. The voyage was
attended with many unusual Incidents.
The fret occurred after the Spray had
left her first port of cali, the Azores.
The Captain had eaten freely of plums
and a native cheese, and they did not
agree with him. He was attacked with
stemachic cramps. He double reefed
the mainsail and with full jib put the
sloop on her course, dashed the wheel
and went below to the cabin. where he
rolled In agony on the floor. Becoming
delirious, he imagined that strange
man came ON board, announced himself
as zone of Columbus crew" and guided
the craft A blow came up, and the
Spray ran like a deer. When the Cap
tain regained his full senses and was
able to go on deck, she was holding
true to her course. She had made 80
miles during the night In the rough sea.
The Spray went through the very
dangerous Straits Of Magellan, whose
shores are strewn with wrecks and In
habited by pirates, without accident.
but after weeks consumed In the pas
sage was driven by a furious gale
southwark and thence eastward around
Cape Horn, necessitating second pas
sage of the Straits.
Captain Slocum was received at
every. landing place with the most
cordial hospitality. for his name was
known the world around among sea
faring men. and the cabled news of
his progress went before him. In Sa-
moa Mrs Robert Louis Stevenson Wis
ited him. In Tasmania Lord Hampden
was a caller. At the Cape Sir Alfred
Miner saw him. A pass over the
Cape railways permitted the skipper
10 pay his respects to President Kru-
ger Of the Boer Republic. While he
was cruising the Spanish-American
war broke out, and his first intimation
of the fact was cleaned from the Unit
ed States cruiser Oregon, which sig
nailed, "Are there any Spanish men-of-
war aboutY Captain Slocum knew Of
none being in that locality. He flip
PANTY replied, mo, but let us keep
together for mutual protectionP'
1t was on June 81, 1893, that the
Spray cast anchor at the moorings she
had left on her voyage around the
globe.
To see the skipper and the craft of
globe circling celebrity will be treat
which all Exposition visitors will want
to enjoy. Gilbert L. LEWIS.