Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-25
BY BOYS AND WOMEN.
CREWS IN MID OCEAN WITH NO
MAN AMONG THEM.
Thrilling Experiences mt sen-The
TrafaIgar's Voyage to Melbourne
How the Captains Wife Took the
Jefferson Borden to Port.
New York SUM-

Reduers OF jules verne win iVihehioci
how the boy Captain" brought ship
across the Pacific all by himself. / do
not know II nature copied Mr.. Jules
Verne in this particular. or II Mr.. jules
Verne copied nature; but some years ago
a young ordinary seaman did navigate
a small brig or schooner into the Mauri-
thus by his own efforts. The rest OF
the crew-ofiicers and all-had sue
cumbed one after another to fever and in
the end the boy had been left alone.
He did not waste much time crying over
the hard fate that had left him in this
predicament, but set to work TO save his
life IL that should be possible. He sue
ceeded by keeping very little sail on his
ship, and by taking very little sleep. IN
saving both the vessel and himself.
The youth Of 49, who last year found
himself by the death of his superior Of
ficers from fever contracted at Batavia,
In command Of a four-masted bark. and
contrived to bring her safely to Mel
bourne with a mutinous crew, performed a
feat scarcely less remarkable and well
deserved the substantial recognition his
bravery obtained for him from both
Lloyds and the owners OF the vessel.
The ship was the Trafalgar. Captain
Edgar died at Batavia, and the chief Of
Seer took command. Three OF the crew
deserted. Next the second officer, VINO
had Joined the vessel at New York,
thrashed one of the crew, and was COM
PEELED to lock himself I'm his cabin for
safety till. fearful that the seamen would
carry their threat into effect to "throw
his carcass overheard to the sharks" he
asked for and was reluctantly granted
his discharge.
Soon after leaving Batavia one OF the
A. BIS died. Captain Roberts was the
next victim. Mr.. Samuel Norwood. now
first officer designate, was compelled to
lay up about the same time. He was
also Frustrated by fever and beyoIr
making an occasional entry in the log
book he was unable either to take his
watch or assist in directing the shir
on her course. He also died six days
later. and Just before him vent Joseph
Full, the ships carpenter. Captain
Roberts then lost possession Of his rea-
son and succumbed shortly before mid.
night.
THE BOY TAKES COMMAND.
Thereupon A young man named Shotten.
an apprentice just out OF his time, whG
had been acting as third mate, under
took to direct the ship. Hugh Kennedy
the sailmaker. was the only person beside
Shotten who had the remotest idea of
the duties OF an officer or sufficient con.
fidence to undertake the guidance OF the
bark while Mr.. Shotten snatched a few
hours rest from his long and weary
duties. one Of the seamen was trans
ferred TO the poop deck, merely for the
purpose to take watch occasionally. His
knowledge of navigation was OF the most
rudimentary character, and the task OF
sailing the ship to Melbourne seemed
hopeless. but Mr. Shotten never LOST
heart
Fortunately, the winds experienced vert
not OF very considerable force. While
there were no prospects of hard blow,
Mr. Shotten clapped on as much sail as
he could induce his inert. somewhat re-
fractorily-inclined crew TO spread TO the
favoring breezes. In the Indian Ocean
Daniel Sheehan, the cook, took sick, and
died He was the sixth and last victim
OF the passage Mr.. Shotten then at
tempted TO induce the crew to clean and
overhaul the ship, and get her In good
condition by the time she reached her
destination. All his efforts We're Of no
avail. Beyond assisting 10 sail the ship,
they would not lend a hand to do more
than was absolutely necessary to secure
the safe passage OF the vessel to port.
a day or two after passing Cape Leu
win-famous cape OF storms-the Trafal-
gar was overtaken by a gale, starting
from the northwest and setting In the
west.
There was only one way. in Mr.. Shot
tens opinion, to weather the storm, and
hot 70 hafOre ~ Nearly all ha
hands were ordered on deck. sail was
gradually shortened as the gale rose,
and the ship scudded before the storm
for several hours under the two lower
topsails and the foresail. Before sail
could be shortened the topsails and the
main lower topsail were blown clean out
of the bolt ropes. AS soon as the wind
moderated and the sea fell. the ship stood
in toward the Victorian coast, and eventu-
ally made the Heads, where the trouble
of her young commander came TO an end.
INSTANCES OF WOMEN SAILING
SHIPS.
1t Is not often that ship has been In
charge OF q woman. The wife OF the cap
tain OF the Jefferson Borden took her
husbands watch occasionally when the
vessel was short handed after the mutt
nv and murder OF the officers. In 1869 the
ship Denmark was brought into port by
the captains wife, the captain himself
being laid up and incapable of doing any
thing except give advice. Another strik-
ing illustration of womans capabilities
In the seafaring line is afforded by the
case Of the bark Rebecca Crowell, which
left New York for Buenos Ayres, but
became disabled during a severe gale
three days after leaving. Several OF the
calls carried and
the captain and the first mate were in
jured TO such an extent that they were
confined to their berths the rest of the
voyage and rendered unfit 10 manage the
vessel
There was no other person on board who
understood navigation except the cap
tain's wife, and she undertook the task
OF conducting the bark to the point OF
destination. The second mate was a
Young man 20 years old. able to take the
helm. but ignorant Of the process of
making observations.
The captains wife. therefore. assumed
the command OF the vessel. took observa-
tions, calculated the latitude and longi-
tude regularly, maintained her place on
the poop. and directed the course OF the
vessel After exercising control for fifty
eight DAYS during which the vessel en-
countered violent gales and shipped heavy
seas she conducted the vessel, with Its
valuable cargo. safely into the port OF
Buenos Ayres. In this actual inpersona-
tior OF "the sweet little angel That sits
up aloft to keep watch for the life OF
moor Jack" the captain OF the Rebecca
crowell was indeed fortunate In his ma
trmonial venture.
A CREW IN MIDocEAN WITHOUT A
NAVIGATOR.
This Is one Of the very strangest ro-
mances In all records OF the sea. IL may
seem strange on the frst blush that none
OF the sailors-nof even the second mate