Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-03-03
A Heroine of he Sen.

suffering, have won for themselves imperish
able fame, Mary A. Patton may claim prom.
inent position. Mrs. Patton is a native of
Boston, and but twenty years of age Her
husband, Capt. Joshua A. Patton, sailed from
New York in July last, for san Francisco, as
commander of the clipper ship Neptune's
Car, and it was during this voyage that his
wife rendered herself so distinguished. Caut.
Patton is well known in New York, and at
the eastward. as young and rising seaman
and the vessels under his command have made
some Of the swlftest passages on record. He
took command of the ''Neptune's Car - about
two years ago, and made his first passage in
her to San Francisco i'll ninety days. On that
occasion Mrs Patton accompanied him to
San francisco, China, London, and back to
New York. His next voyage was that last
year TO San Francisco, in which his wife again
accompanied him. The 6 Neptune's Car"
left port at the same time with the clippers
=" Romance ofthe Seas, 'Intrepid,' and two
others, the names of which we do not remem.
Der. AS usual with commanders in the Pa
ellie trade, Capt. Patton wished to get his
ship into port ahead of his rivals He soon
found, however, that his first mate slept dur
ing half his " watch on the quarter deck, while
he kept the ship under reeled courses, and
after repeated remonstrance had proved una
vailing he found it necessary to remove him.
After that, he undertook to discharge the
mates duties rs well as his own, and in con-
sequence of fatigue was taken sick, while
passing through the Straits of Leimaire,
around the Horn, and in short time brain
fever developed itself
From that time up to the period of her ar
rival at San Francisco, Mrs. Patton was both
nurse and navigator. When her husband was
taken sick the ship was given in charge of the
second mate. He, however, was but an in
different navigator, and although he knew
how to take an observation, he could not work
up the reckoning. Mrs. Patton, who, on her
previous voyage, had studied navigation as a
pastime, now took observations, worked up
the reckoning by ehronometer time laid the
ships courses, and performed most of the 9th
er duties of the captain of the ship. During
this time her husband was deirious with the
fever. and she shaved his head, and devised
every means in her power to soothe and re-
store him. 10 this end, she studied medicine
to know how to treat his case intelgently,
and IN course of time succeeded in carving
| him alive through the crisis of his complaint
About one week after the Caltai fell sick,
! the mate wrote letter to Mrs. Patton. re-
minding her of the dangers of the coast and
| the great responsibility she had assumed. and
| offering 10 take charge OF the ship. She re-
| piled that, in the judgment of her husband,
he was unit to be mate, and therefore she
could not consider him qualified to fill the
post of commander. Stung by this rebuff.
the fellow tried TO stir up the crew to mutinv
against her; hut she called the other sailors
ait and appealed to them to support her in her
hour of trial.-To a man, they resolved 10
stand by her and the ship, come what might,
Ii was pleasant to witness their cheerful ODE.
dience to her orders, as each man viewed
with his fellows in the performance of his
duty.
BY the time the ship came nearly up to the
latitude of Valparaiso, Capt. Patton had
somewhat recovered from the fever, although
far too weak for any mental or physical exer.
| ton, and the mate, under promise of doing
better in the future, had partially resumed
| duty. But Mrs. Patton discovering that he
| was steering the ship out of her course, and
| making for Valparaiso, appraised her husband
| OF the fact. The mate was summoned below
| and asked to explain his conduct, which he
! did by saying that he could not keep the snip
nearer her course. Capt. Patton then had
| his cot moved to part of the cabin from
! which he could view the ''tel. tale" OF the
| compass, and soon fonnd that the mate was
| still steering for Valparaiso He then sent
/ Tor the four mates and sailors. and formally
| deposed the hrst mate. promoting the second
! officer to his place.-Then he gave orders that
I
| taken into any other port than San Francisco.
| Soon after, he had a relapse, and tor 25 days
before the vessel reached port, he was totally
! blind, AT length San Francisco was reached
in safety, after short voyage OF 40 DAYS. the
| vessel beating three out Of four of her COM
| petitoys
1 The safety of the ship and the preservation
OF her husband life were wholly due to the
constant care and watchfulness OF Mrs. Pat
ton. On her arrival she informed the con
signee of the vessel that for fifty nights
| previous she had not undressed herself.
On Tuesday we received a note from our
ship-new collector stating that Mrs. Patton
and her husband was in this city, having ar
rived III the steamer George Law. We found
them at the Battery Hotel and obtained an
interview with Mrs. Patton. She was assid.
uously attending her husband as hereto
fore; but his situation is such as to preclude
| all hope of recovery.
With that modesty which generally distin
guishes true merit, Mrs. Patton begged to be
excused from speaking about herself She
SAID that she had done no more than her duty.
and as the recollection Of her trials and suffer.
ings evidently gave her pain, we could not do
| otherwise than respect her feelings Few
persons would imagine that the woman who
behaved so brayely, and endured so much for
her husbands sake is slender New England
girl, scarcely twenty years old. She is lady
OF medium height with black hair, large
dark, lu'trous eyes, and very pleasing fea-
lures. Her health is much impaired from the
hardships which she has undergone and she
is very near the period of her maternity. Yet
she does not spare herself in the least, but is
| most faithful and constant in her attentions to
| her husband, We have been informed that
she is in Strengthened circumstances, and al.
though she might aud doubles would shrink
from assistance from other, yet it seems 10 us
that this is case in which our merchants
may do themselves honor, by liberal recog-
milton OF her heroic conduct. The Board of
Underwriters, we understand, have voted or
will vote her $1,000. Considering that the
ship and cargo were worth nearly $3.50 600,
and that to her skill and decision they are
mainly indebted Tor its safety, under most nd.
verse circumstances for the weather was
unusually seyere-we think, looking at the
matter from purely peculiarly point Of view,
the least they should have done would have
been to give her a check for So 900 Not
only did she safely take the ship from Cane
Horn to San Francisco, but both vessel ana
cargo were in better trim than any OF her
competitors When she reached port. OF
course, the owners OF the ship viii do hand
somely by Mrs. Patton bat were the mer.
chants OF New York TO make up liberal
purse, il would prove highly acceptable 10 the
widow Gas she almost certainly soon will be1
and her small famly.-New YORK. Tribune