Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-20

Y nearly 10000 proved their
efficiency in Uncle Sans
naval service under actual war con-
ditions, special interest centers in the
personality of the first woman to en-
list In the United States Navy. She
was Miss Lucy Brewer, who changed
her name to Louisa Baker, enlisted
under the name George Brown and
afterward married Mr.. West, a pros
porous merchant Of New York.
Miss Brewer was born near Ply
mouth, Mass, in 1892 and in 1912,
when she was twenty years old, en-
listed as marine in the famous
frigate Constitution, in which she
served throughout the war of 1872
1915, participating in all the battles
in which that ship was engaged dur
ing the war.
Miss Brewer did not wear a skirt,
regulation or any other kind, al
though. singular as 1t may seem to us
OF this day, many man. Of wars men
or her day did wear skirts or, more
accurately speaking, canvass kilt
that came to the knees. Miss Brewer
scorned even this bit of feminine
wearing apparel when in our uncle's
naval service. for she boldly paced
the decks Of "Old Ironsides" arrayed
in the full regalia Of sailor.
1t was necessary for her to do this,
for climbing a mast when incumbered
with skirt was task that might
stagger even the pluckiest yeomen
CD of today. Nowadays the develop
ment Of naval architecture Is such
that mast climbing has become
thing of the past so far as Its diff
culties and dangers are concerned. 1t
Is as easy to ascend the basket"
masts Of the modern dreadnaught as
1t is to climb up the ladder into the
hay loft In dads barn back home"
and any yeoman (F) can do that. But
1t was quite a different proposition to
climb the mast of the old time sailing
frigate. particularly at sea. when the
rolling and pitching Of the ship de-
manded more attention than the live
Hest fox trot" ever INDUCED in.
Miss Brewer enlisted as no or
binary, everyday sailor" but as one
of those "super-aristocratic" marines
who. in those days. "lorded" it over
the ordinary mortal known as a
sailor in manner that would not
be tolerated today-without IAN argu-
ment." At the period Of our 1872
1915, war it was part Of naval tactics
for six or sevens marines to be placed
in the top" (the first landing place
on a mast above the deck, usually
sixty to seventy feet up) where, In
time of battle. they could use their
muskets on the enemy at close quar-
tiers. .r"~ -n
In the three years Miss Brewer
served in the Constitution her battle
station was in one Of these tops" 1t
is difficult to imagine a girl climbing
up slanting rope ladder (known as
the shrouds) to the height Of sixty
feet; then, for a distance of ten feet
actually climbing backward up the
futtock shrouds (Which slanted at an
angle of 46 degrees backward) to
reach the top" when incumbered with
a skirt. 1t was impossible, and even
kiltie would have proved a nuisance.
But this was not the only difficulty
of mast climbing in those days. AS
has been noted, Miss Brewer enlisted
as marine. A sailor, climbing a
mast, had nothing to look out for but
his own precious self. The marine
had to carry the long, cumbersome
musket. along with a bayonet
and box of ammunition. the total
weight Of the outfit being more than
fifty pounds, on top Of his own weikht,
whatever that happened to be. Given
this hfty-pound load, the rolling and
pitching of the ship in heavy sea-
way and thirty-two- pound cannon
balls whistling by to the accompani-
ment of pattering musket bullets
which the enemy was playfully
sprinkling. one can readily under
stand the difficulties Of mast climbing
in a naval battle Of q hundred years
ago. 1t was quite feat for woman.
II 80
II any one deserves to have his or her
picture in the newspapers, this plucky
young American woman does. The
American Antiquarian Society preserves
a likeness Of the heroine In Its archives
at Worcester, Mass. After being honor