Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-03-03
A WAR SHIPS BUNTING
DRESS AND LANG,A AGE or \
NAVAL VESSEL.
The Varied Uses of Ensign and Pca,-
nant-'iLe Flag of Honor, the Storm
Flag and the NOachwhip.


Bunting is the language OF the United
Slater navy, and there is scarce amy i,lea
too elusive To be conveyed by Uncle
Sans sailormcn through the medium of
ensign or pcnnant. Not only are the
signal codes, national an. international.
expressed by means of bunting. but
world OF nautical emotions us We'll. Soy
row, JOY. respect. pride, warnings OF
danger, signals of distress, dctiancc. sub
mission, and whatever else may move il
body of men harborctl within the iron
sides OF an american nam of-war, all find
Mtterancc 10y means of the banners with
which she is amply provided.
When the ship of the United State navy
is placed in commission the command
ant of the Navy Yard where she may he
lying formally in.rusts her to the care
OF her future commander. The latter,
in his turn, reads his orders. being the
written certificate from the Government
of his authority and responsibility. This
done, the new commander SAYS TO his
executive officer: "iloist the ensign and
break the pcnnant.' This command
dcsceh,ls by proper grada,ions TO the
sailormcn that curry it out, and presently
the flag OF the United States is u,.furlc,l
mt its proper place, and the ''coachwhipr
of the commander floats aloft ut the
masthead. All this happens Will! every
body, men and officers, on deck. and
with the merry marine music sounding.
proclaim the fact that the ship is upon
active duty, and the latter never comes
down until the commander is dead or
superseded or the ship is declared out of
commission. long as the pcnnant flies
the regular routine of naval life goes om
within her sides and upon her decks, IL
routine that has bccn continued since the
first year of the republic, and will con
tinuc SO long as we are IL maritime power
with Il flag to cheer and national honor
to maintain.
Bunting is to a ship of the navy not
only language, but dress rs we'll. With
it she rcjoiccs, in it she mourns. 1t
stands to her for jewels, Ribbons and
furbclows. If she wear Il train it is of
bunting; if she puts on a gay scarf in
honor of new friend or ancient foe again
it is OF bunting. Her holiday attire is of
the same material, and She lays aside her
last stitch OF bunting only when tcmpor-
arily or permanently retired from duty.
That Il ship may be provided at once
with dress and speech she carries Il vast
quantity of bunting. The number of
flags. cnsigns, pennants. and the like
that an American maE-of war carries is
not dozens or scores, but more nearly
hundreds. She must be supplied with
nll the bunting necessary for every day
duty, for dressing ship, for special dis
plays, for domestic and International
signalling, and for every emergency that
is likely to arise. She must carry not
only her own colors. but the flag oil every
maritime nation whose ports she is likely
to enter, or whose ships She may en-
/ counter, for she displays foreign cnsigns
A'a-eoY.'e.s.y VIXEN ina foreign port upon
the holidays OF tho nation To which such
port belongs. and she shows like courtesy
when foreign officers OF rank come on
board Not Albert Edward of Males
himself keeps and wears @rcatcr variety
OF military clothes than does aa American
nan of war i'll foreign waters.
The largest American flag used by the
navy is :iG feet long by 10 feet 'shoist. .
us the width is called in naval pnrancc.
In sucha flag the starry blue field on
union measures Ia feet 10y l0.2 feet.
This is the banner of honor 1t flies in
fine weather, and especially upon muster
Sunday, il there is no rain or high wind,
and upon all occasions. weather permit
ting, when the ship is in her best trim.
With the coming ON OF rain, or an in
i crease of wind, small flag goes up En-
sign No. 2 is 2s.19 feet hv i.::s1 feet. and
the union is 10 0SsN1.,3 Nos. 3. and
s are smaller in VARYING degrees III,
last of these is the storm flag. 1t meas
urcs y. .715 feet hv 81 feet, and the unioi
is 80 feet by 2.1G feet. 1t lies in wind
or rain, and bears tllc.hlunt of service.
No. 9. which is the smallest ensign com.
monty used. is the boat flag. 1t meas
urcs So feet by 80 feet and its union i.
2.2 feet by l.6 feet 1t is the boat haa
that one secs frequently in New Yor
harbor displayed at the stern of Il ship,
gig, manned by stout s;,ilormen in thu
uniform of the navy. Each boat OH /;
United States ship has its own flag
The ensign proclaims the nationality
of the ship and is displayed in har,or
but not when the ship is on the open sea,
save at the approach of another vessel. II
flies either from the peak of the gair- OF
the aftcrmast or from Il flagstaff astern.
The ensign is hoistcd at $ o'clock in tho
morning with due ceremony. Ifthc YES
sci be flagship the band plays, til,
marine music of buglc and drum i.
sounded, and everybody on deck facing
aft uncovcrs in honor of the Stars and
Stripes. On ships not tlagships the sam,
ceremony is observed, save that the band
does not play, because there is no band
ON board. The music at the hoisting of
the ensign is the "star-Spungled Ban
ner, ,'and at the lowering, which occurs
ut sunset, it is "lIail. Columbia"
When II ship is in tip-top trim, when
no clothes are a-drying, and no dirty
work is going on forward, she carries a,
her bow the union jack, which is moth
ing more than the starry field of the
national flag. The iiack varies in size with
that of the ensign displayed ut the same
time. The jack never flies when vessel
is under way.
If all this seems complicated to a lands
man, it is simple and easy beside the
science of pennants. The pennant is in
Al, Il