The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-06-03
shapes and about fifty in number.

international code of signals is used, and
by the use of a signal book carried by
every vessel, in which the name of al
most every ship in the world is listed,
and in which hundreds of words and SEN
fences are printed, two ships that meet
on the ocean by hoisting the signal flags
in different combinations, can talk with
each other, as they pass by, as far apart
as the flags can be seen through glass.
Thus the International signals displayed
by Mr.. w. c. Short on Memorial Day on
his flag staff, could be read by any ship
of any nation as Remember the Maine"
in its own language by the use of the
signal book.
In men-ofwar the number of flags used
is enormous and are hundreds in num-
Der. When ship ''goes into commits.
sion" that is when her officers and crew
go on board, the first ceremony is to
hoist the flags. Every commanding Of
ficer below the rank of commodore flies
pennant from the main mast, (the mid
die mast of three masted vessel.) The
pennant is long, ribbon-like flag with
blue union, single row of stars, and a
white and red stripe the remainder of its
length. Commodores and higher Off
GERS have square pennants. When the
ship goes into commission the pennant
is hoisted and remains night and day un-
til the ship goes out of commission as the
commander leaves her. Besides this,
man-of-war in the day time always flies
two other flags, the "union jack" which
is the blue part of the stars and stripes,
and the ensign. The ''jack" is always
shown from the forward part of the ship
aud the ensign or national flag is invari-
ably at the stern or on the mast nearest
the stern. The hoisting of these flags
each morning and the lowering at each
sun-down is always accompanied with
more or less ceremony, and always with
music if the ship has a band. Every
time an officer or seaman goes on the
quarter deck of the ship in the vicinity of
the flag, he touches his cap as salute to
the flag.
Besides the international code of sig
nails described, each man-of-war carries
large number of private signals whose
combinations and meanings are only un-
derstood by their own officers, and which
are used in giving orders by the COM
manding officer of the fleet to other ships
and for other communications.
Besides these signals, man-of-war
carries full assortment of national flags
OF all countries. Whenever man-of-
war enters foreign harbor, the flag OF
the country visited is hoisted to the top
OF the foremast of the visiting ship and
given a national salute of 21 guns. This
is returned by the forts on shore. If
there are other ships of war in port, the
commanders make an official visit to the
new arrival, and the national flag of the
visitor is hoisted to the fore and saluted
with certain number of guns, from to
IL according to his naval rank, while he
is OH board, and later these visits are
punctlliously returned by the command
er OF the new arrival and similar salutes
given him and his flag. Thus in some
harbors where the presence of many ships
of different nations in common, the can
nonading caused by the arrival of anoth-
er mall-of-war is something tremendous
and expensive.
The position of flags on ship has a
significance. A flag at half mast signi-
fies death. A flag union down, that is,
upside down, means distress, and help
wanted. A prize captured in war, par
ticularly warship, is brought into port
with her former flag flying below the flag
OF the victor; hence for ship to hoist
the national flag of any other nation in
such position would be deemed an in.
suit sufficient to cause war if not prompt.
ly apologized for, and the flag hoisted in
its proper position and saluted by a ma
tional salute.
We have made this article longer than
intended, as we are not sure of how much
interest it may be to our readers, but
there has been considerable discussion
about town of late as to the display of
flags. We have given these customs of
the sea to show how impossible it is to
expect the same customs and meanings
to attach on shore. Thus the hosting
OF any other national flag on shore staff
under the stars and stripes is not an in
suit, because not intended as such; it is |
Complementary only, and it is perfectly
proper thing, and not only proper but
courteous; courteous to our foreign born
population, to fly any flag of any nation
with which we have friendly relations,
provided that the stars and stripes are al
so shown in an equally prominent and
conspicuous position. And in showing
this courtesy we simply do II as a conr.