Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-03-14
HEROIC CONDUCT OF a WOMAN.

1
HEROIC CONDUCT OF "A WOMAN.
| Account of Mrs. Martha Ann Paiten, a youny
Lady t,centy years Of age, who Conntundet
vessel, fry sir days, during her husband
! Illness.
The readers of the Herald will remembc
an account taken from one Of the Californi,
papers, relative to the heroic conduct OF NJ RS
| Martha Ann Patten, wife of Captain Patten
Of the ship Neptunes Cur. who. during hel
| husbands illness, took charge of the vesse
and navigated it safely into San Francisco
| The lady, together with her husband who i,
now so sick that he is not expected to live ar
rived in this city in the Geotge Law, and art
nov stopping at the Battery Hotel. He $40
| ry is an interesting and painful enc, and
shows how much weak, delicate woman car
do when great emergency calls out her pow
crs.
Mrs. Patten was born in Boston Of veal
thy parents, and received an excellent educa
ton, and was IN every respect tenderly nur-
tured and cared for. She is now but twcnty
years OF age dc petite tdiHe. has small hands
and features delicate blonde complexion, soft
blue eyes, and altogether gives one AN idea
oi feminine softncss and womaninesS that il
is impossible to associate with the daring
nerve and decisive qualities she exhibited in
remarkable degree. At eighteen years OF
age. he having been master of vessei-the
bark St Andrew, which piled between New
York and South American por Sand was
then off duty waiting until the Ccrnela Law
renee new ship was ready for sea. Shortly
alter he was married the master of he ship
Neptuues Car sckened as sh" was about to
put to sea FOR a voyage around the world, and
the owners, Messrs Foster and Nckerson,
offered the post to Captain Patten. but he
hesitated as he did not wish to leave his young
bride. The owners, however, gave him per-
mission to take her with him; aud in twelve
hours after the first notification the young
couple were on board, and the vessel getting
ready TO leave the dock. The Nep,une's Car
first sailed for San Francisco, thence 20 Chi
ma. from China to London, and finally arrived
in New 4ork. after an absence of seventeen
months. During this time Mrs. Put;en auu-
sed herself by helping her husband in his nau-
tlcal observations, worked up the time from
the chronometers, and occasionally kept the
reckoning of the ship. Last August the
Neptune's Car again put TO sea, aud it was
on this voyage that Mrs. Patten's ms fortunes
commenced. As the vessel neared the straits
Of Magellan, her husband was taken with IA
disease in the head which finally deveo, ell
into brain fever He attended TO his ship
as long as he was able and when it was im-
possible 10 give any personal orders. lie found
to his dismay that his first mate was wholly
incompetent to take charge of the ship, and
that there was no officer on board qualified
to take the vessel into port. lie found that
the first mate was anxious to run the vessel
IN al h,,t ho, a..
Us the crew might all leave and the cargo be
destroyed before the consignees could send
for the vessel. In this emergency IS. Pat
tens rare qualities developed themselves
She assumed command Of the vessel herself.
aud the nautical observations she once mtde
in sport for II pastime she now undertook rs Il
duty. Her time was spent between the bed
side Of her delerious husband aud the wiring
desk working up the intricate cal ui"t ons
incident to nautical observations naking ell.
tries in the log book in her own delicate pen.
manship, and tracing out with accuracy tie
position of the ship from the charts III the Ca
bin. The rough sailors all obeyed the little
woman" as they called her, with will, and
eyed her curiously and atiectonatriy. through
tie cabin windows while deep in the calculu
{ ons in which her life and theirs depen,led-
There was one person on board, however, who
viewed her course with jealousy aud miSirust
lie wrote her Il letter warning her Of the le.
spOnsbility she was assuming aud prof. ring
advice, but she 81 ir.tedly reIli tia, her US
band would 10. trust HIM while he was we'll,
and she could not do so now that he was
sick" For fifty days Mrs. Patton did not
undress herself and took very little sleep.
working day and night, and never leaving her
sick husbands room. Her laborS are he
more surprising in view oi the fact, that size
was all this time ia II delicate condition, aud
soon expects to give birth to her first child
The Neptunes Car arrived safely ut San
Francisco on the 18th OF November last, il
having been for iiity-six days under the com
mand Of delicate female not twenty years
Of age. What splendid text for the wo-
mans rights people,
Mrs. pattpn is now at the Battery Hotel
with her husband who it is supposed is in a
dying condition. The fever has never left
him, and for some time past has been blind
aud deaf They did expect to leave IN the
boat for Boston yesterday for her own home,
but he was too sick to be moved
Mrs Patterns case is one of the mos, re-
markable on record, aud adds one to the many
instances that history records OF female Gevo.
ton and heroism.-Neio York Herald Of the
loM ui.