New-York tribune., 1897-08-29
WHERE FLAGS ARE MADE.
BUILDING NO. Z. IN THE NAVY YARD,
FULL TO OVERLOOKING WITH
STARS AND STRIPES
FOURTEEN WOMEN EXPERT FLAGMAKERs DO
THE MACHINE AS WELL AS THE HAND
wORK-"OLD GLORY AT HOME


wORK-"OID GLORY AT HOME
II one wishes to see stars-all sizes and In any |
desired number-one need not take header of a |
bicycle for the express purpose Instead one shoui
pay a visit to Uncle Sans Navy Yard In Brook |
lyn, where I'm Building No. T. on Second-st.. hass |
of own country and Of forty-hree other coun- |
tries OF maritime persuasion are constructed by
corps of nimbe-hngered women. under the super |
vision Of James Crimmns. the master hagmaker
On the third floor In Building No. I. three large, |
pleasant rooms arc devoted to hagmakng. Not |
only tar-spaEsled emblems buiit
there. but the man-of-war flags Of nearly half
hundred other countries are also evolved. and the
display of hunting, showing the NEST brilliant and
beautiful colors. Is quite rainbow bit of spendor
Commander c. s. Sperry Is the real head OF the
flag department. but he is on leave now. and Lieu
tenant James r Smith is the courteous acting
head. With his kindly permission. Tribune re-
porter invaded the equipment department Few
days ago and saw stars under the most favorable
cir circumstances James Cr!mmins the veteran flag
master has been at his post since 1875. and what
he does not know about the building OF flags Is
torn out OF the book. Fourteen busy women
seemed lnextricably mixed up with yards upon
yards OF red, blue white. yellow. green and black
bunting; and stripes. strips stars and designs
galore gorhed the glistenny bare floors and over
flowed long tables. machines and chairs. big,
innocent-looking fatiron was on rest near long
| pressing table; fire visible. but that Iron
had bunting (lf not 10 Durn), Tor connec-
| tion with electric battery kept 1t at great heat
EXPERT FLAGMAKERs.
| You see" said Mr. Crmmins. we have to do
! careful work here. Every flag, star. stripe bar and
| device is measured to geometrical accuracy, and
| the sewing must be strong and neat Our 1agmak-
/ ers become expert. Now. here is a flag where the
stars have jus; been put on and Mr. Crimm'ns
took a large American flag from woman and
! passed it over for inspection. The way in which
tha nin. on hCA
| hold. Every American regulation flag has ninety
stars t-forty five each side, back to back
They are put on carefully and evenly that when
the flag Is held up the light the stars seem TO
have gone through TO the other side and appear as
one. The tiny stitches that accomplish this par
ticuar work are all put In by hand and are Won
derfully and dainty
"Formerly all the flag made by hand con-
| tmucd Mr. Crimmns but now the long stripes
are sowed together on the machine. All the stars
are put by hand. however and all the designs
the foreign flags
THE CHINESE FLAG.
Here he unrolled a large yellow bundle and spread
over the floor the Chinese man-of-war emblem.
with the most notwithstanding dragon sprawlng
over 1t. with enough wings and scales and legs to
him to furnish half dozen monstrosies with
fre.kish anatomical appendages But the work was
! BEAUTIFUL The ferocious-l looking dragon was APP
pliqued on in the most admirable way every stitch
| of him being done by hand Ills capacious mouth
WAS WIDE open. and described by one of the
haemakers as a creature with an exceedingly open
That is difficult flag to make. is it not?'
hard to make owing to the dragon figures. At one
lime ,he designs used TO be painted on the Tags
them out of colored bunting and stitching them OF
How many flags are made here during the
,"Thousands:. should say. Often we make a hun
why 30 You make foreign flags here"
1t is naval custom and etiquette to fly the man-of
r aS OF & cSnnry % % sne @ 10 be w
ing the ship is In commission When she runs uE
% foreigners flag she Is Immediately saluted by
"Wherf is the hunting made"
'All of it is made in Lowell Mass. 1t has to com,
up certain requirements in regard to color an,
strength. 1t has to b" made entirely OF wool of thu
weigh nvc and quarter pounds avoirdupois pc
piece of forty yarns nineteen inches vide IN,
contain not less than thirty -four threads to th'
and Ms warp be h swGpy ay and %s se haH %
tensile Of SxtEe % RDnnss nS it to ,ss the ose
two inches wide, The colors must be as fast a,
they can make them, and must not be seriously af
four four hours in fresh water and then thorough,
washed IN water using good grade OF laundry
: Mr Crimmins then went to the machine where
the tensile strength is ascertained and demon
In a small room at end Of the large apart
. mont two hagmakers, were found found seated on ' Low
caher and hS horn straps We're bucked around tn
| right hand of each sewer and the 'thimbles' wer
indentad disks of steel set In the strap on the In
Joins on the palm; They were the oldest thin
hles The reporter had seen. and, In connection
with the anchors and and ropes tattooed will
| dark blue ink into the wrists and backs Of th
h%nds of the sewers, fascinating appearance
. | 10 inexperienced eyes.
2 THE MEASURING ROOM
: Returning TO the large ROOM trangles and star
and squares Of polished brass were observed In tn
| floor and on inquiry IT found that the diferen
l. | flags were measured according to these marks. TIL
@ | width of the American ensign must be feminine
tcenths of the length, and the foreign flags approx