Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-30
"a P.Ess anNS sE!zEo Ei4 ,

involuntary stay was indefinitely pro-
longed.
They were assigned, with several other
couples aboard the Leander, to a quarter
of the berthdeck slightly removed from the
rest Of the crew, where they slung their
nammockS and Jared much the same as the
ordinary seamen. White records that these
women were treated with the utmost re-
spect by the rough men around them, and
that the mere presence of good women
seemed to have refining and eevating IN
f1uence on the entire ships company.
A Floating Nursery.
We have another well-authenticated IN
stance Of women living aboard English war
ships of this period, in the diary of Samuel
Leech, who enlisted in the frigate Mace
DOMAIN, which afterward was captured by
the American forty-four-gun ship United
States. While actively engaged in the op-
erations against the French off the coast
of Portugal. 1911, two Of the Macedonians
had their wives aboard the ship.
In one of the many false alarms in which
that ship started out from Lisbon on a
short cruise in search of the enemy's ships
two babes were born in one week Whether
or not the might concerts rendered by
these lusty young Britons disturbed the
slumber of the ships company, Leech fails
to say, but he does record that shortly
after the birth Of the second child old Cap
tain Carden-than whom there never was a
that he was not going to have his frigate
turned into a nursery" and promptly, on
the return of the good ship to Lisbon. he
caused the young mothers to be sent aboard
the FIRST homeward bound transport
Captain Garden, in reality, was a very
kind-hearted gentleman and was fond of
musfc-even If it was not of babe render
ing-and to console himself for the loss of
the newcomers, he engaged a band of mu-
sicians to enlist in his frigate The change
proved unlucky, for shortly afterward both
ms snip and his musicians were captured
by the bold Yankee frigate United States,
1t is doubtful If women were ever adj
mitted aboard American war ships so
openly as in the British service of that
day. To be sure, we have had instances
where some favored admiral or high Of
ficer, in consideration Of long and meri-
torious service, had been permitted to have
his wife aboard when on term of service
In distant seas. Then, again, when some
of our war ships are In home ports conf
manders have had their families for a
short time aboard with them. But these
exceptions are rare. For an ordinary sail
or to be INDUCED in a similar privilege, SO
far as the writer recalls, is without paral-
lei in the United States navy.
An American Amazon.
We have had. however, a well-authenti-
Gated case of a woman serving for three
years in our navy, and during that period
she took part in three of the most i'm
portant sea fights in the war Of 1912. Her
career is one of unusual interest.
Louisa Baker, typical New England
girl, having been betrayed by her lover,
fled to Boston in the depth of bitterly
cold winter. In vain she applied for shell
ter from house to house and finally, In
sheer desperation, she beat her way to
that part of Boston, then known as Negro
Hill, now one of the fashionable sections
of the Hub. Knocking at the door of a
house Of whose character she knew nothing,
she was warmly welcomed and not until It
was too late did she realize that she was
in the clutches of a bawd.
In the three years Miss Baker spent In
this place she met several American sail
ors who suggested the idea of escape. She
had read how a Miss Sampson in the revo-
luton, had disguised herself as a man and
had served throughout that struggle with
out her sex becoming known. Miss Baker
determined to try the experiment and, Sc
curing male attire from her sailor friends,
she escaped from her distasteful retreat.
Learning that the American frigate Con-
stitution was fitting out for a cruise, she
enlisted as a marine Cor soldier who
serves on board Of ship to maintain the
discipline Of the crew and to uphold the