Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-22

| what smaller tnan inc hhy pennant, Du
the two are otherwise identical.
The etiquette OF tho pcnnant is a,
riold and formal O. the rules of prece
dence on the way from drawing-room tC
dining room in the house OF fashiona
/ bic Briton. Whenever an officer of rank
superior to that of the commander comes
I on board an American man -of-war down
comes the commanders pennant and NJ
goes that of his superior
The captains coach-whip makes way
for the commodore's broad pennant OF
"syallov-tail." commonly the house
flag of yacht clubs. The broad pennant
bears single star And just here is 6
little kink for which a landsman would
not be looking.
When several commodores are lying
in tho same barbOr or cruising in com.
psny the senior displays a blue swallow
tail. the next in rank red one, and the
Junior commodore a white swallow-tail.
The commodore broad pennant must
give way before the Tear-admiraPs flag
with two stars and the seniority OF rear
admirals, as Of commodores. is indicated
by the color Of the flag. There used to
be a vice-admiral's flag and a flag for the
admiral Of the navy. but there 10 neither
admiral nor vice-admiral now, so these
flags are never seen.
MUST COME DowS.
The rear-admiral' flag, whether blue.
red. or white, must come down when the
Secretary OF the Navy visits the rear
admiral's ship, and the Secretary's blue
flag, with white crossed anchors, must
take its place. The Assistant Secretary
has a similar flag, with the colors re-
versed.
Finally. when the President OF the
United States, as communicative OF
the army and navy, goes aboard n man
of-war his ensign, the Stars and Stripes,
goes to the main.
When Uncle Sam would DO honor 10
n foreign government in one OF whose
harbors a United States ship is lying,
he has bis ship docked out with what
sailors call a rainbow. which is a
continuous line Of flags going over al
the masts and descending TO the waters
edge at bow AMI stern.
The Stars and Stripes fly from each
masthead save NJ the main, where the ship
displays the ensign Of the country which
the ship seeks 10 honor.
Ensign aud flag and pennant play
their part when death comes to com
mander or subordinate. When the COM
mander Of a fleet, squadron, or division
dies at sea the cnsigus Of all the vessels
present are half-masted during the fu-
neral ceremony. and when the body is
dropped into the sea the flag ship fires
az many minute-guns as the dead officer
was entitled to receive in salute while
living.
As the last gun is ired the personal
flag Of the dead commander is hauled
down. When a commanding officer dies
in port his pennant is hali-masted until
sunset Of the day when the funeral ser.
vice takes place, and when his body is
sent on board oil the vessels present
half-mast their enslgns.
The ensign takes its part also in the
tributes OF re -pect paid on the death Of
subordinate commissioned officer, a
warrant officer, or petty officer, but
poor Jack goes without such honor.
BUNTING.
The United States Navy does not make
its own bunting. but does make up bunt-
ing into ensigns. flags, and pennants.
Over Mt what landsmen call the Brook
lyn and sailors the New York navv-yard
thousands of flags are made for the navy.
The bunting, which comes in red and
white strips, is mercilessly tested for
tensile strength and color and rejected
if 1t does not come up to the standard.
The color tests are made by comparison
with well-established red, white, and
blue, and the test OF tensile strength
by special machinery.
When all is done. however, bunting
greatly varies in quality, and some flags
far outlast others that are no worse treat
ed. An ensign shows its first sign of
weakness down in the lower right-h
corner Just behind the hem, and once 3
start is made here frequent dsrning is
The life Of an ensign in common use
may be from five to nine months, or
longer with very careful treatment. No
housewife is a8 busy darning stockings
as are Uncle Sam sailormen in keeping
q ships tinery in trim.
All the details as TO width Of stripes,
size Of stars, and arrangement in the
union are matters Of fixed rule and Of
record. The union is most frequently
changed, since the admission Of each
new State necessitates a Encouragement
Of the muslin stars.
The present field Of six rows, four
with seven stars each, and top and bot
tom rows Of eight stars each, is the re-
suit Of long study. Any one who notes
the flag will see that the stars align