Evening star., 1898-05-21
ASIGHT TO Be REMEMBERED

| - "
II don't SUPPOSE that the universal dis
play Of the stars end stripes at the pres
ent period is IN anytsense likely to erase
from the appreciation of true-blue Ameri-
| cans the fullest understanding Of the
meaning. strength and significance of the
emblem said a naval officer. Rather.
the universal exhibition OF the flag is more
| likely to bring to the men, women and cnil-
| dren OF the land fuller appreciation Of
the glories of the starry banner. Yet, i'm
presslVe and inspiring as this brave array
Of the national icelors on most of the beau
tiful streets Of Washington surely is. it
does not excite within me quite the same
sensation of boundless. irrepressible en-
thusiasm as that which once experienced
al sea, upon the sight of a single American
nag. am full aware that all of US are
more or less savage in our natures, but
cannot recall that ever experienced such
a thrill of savage exultation and exalta.ion
as did when clapped eyes upon this lone
American nag, in the center OF the low,
laughing Pacific
My ship was returning from Japan to
the United States, five years ago We had
been on the China station for over three
years, and most Of us, forward as Well as
art, were pretty lonesome, as you may
fancy, Tor a sight of this smiling land OF
ours. We were eight days out from Yoko-
hama, making for Honolulu to coal ship.
Wnen We were overtaken by the Fourth OF
July All the ships in the American navy,
you remember, are dressed with bunting
from stem to stern on Independence day.
whether the ships are at anchor or at sea,
In any quarter of the globe. Our signal
quartermaster made an especially beautiful
job OF ship dressing on this Fourth of July,
and, with our 100-foot homeward-bound
pennant streaming fiat with the fresh
breeze, don't DOUBT that we made a brave
and beautiful picture as viewed from a
n iSfo in fha
ofiins to view us. But we seemed to be alb
solutely alone in mid-Pacifc. During the
hrst three or four days of our homeward-
bound cruise out of Japan we had run
across few ships, all flying the British
flag, but on this sunshiny Fourth of July
morning We seemed to be quite alone on
the sea. We were all lol1tng about the
decks, somewhat stupidly, along about 10
O'Clock in the morning, after inspection,
talking about where we intended putting in
our detached time. after our ship went
out Of commission.
"a sail! sung out the boy in the look
out.
'Whereaway? shouted the officer Of the
deck, and you may believe that we were
all attention to catch the compass points
sung out by the lad aloft.
1.-The sail was SkyS'l, still and tiny as
the link in a lady's lorgnette chain. on the
outermost verge of the southeastern hori-
zon. Yet all of us aft took the poop for 1t.
with our glasses. and the men up for ard
their eyes for the sail, WHICH was making
for us. A sailing ship approaching you at
sea from the far horizon seems to make
at you in bounds when you yourself are
driving for her, and by the time We took 4
second long look at the approaching ship
her huge royals, bellied out by the fresh
breeze, Shone clear and brilliant in our
eyes, reflected by the bright morning sun.
But by the time we could make out the
royals We had no time for them. Our gaze
was focused on the bit of bunting at tie
main-the stars and stripes of our republic.
l think a bit of chill ran over the spines
of all of us when we saw that. 1t seemed
such devilishly beautiful idea. that-the
nag bounding slap at US right out of the
middle of the Pacific, and of all mornings
on this Fourth of July morning.
This is good; this is good muttered
the old skipper trhse hoarsely, and then
the hull of the appreaching snip danced on
the amethyst hSrizoni for us, her code of
signals flutterins. Il!
The Shenandoah.put of Bath shouted
the signal quartermaster from the bridge.
You ought to haye heard the men up
forward, bless AheiA mischievous, gener-
souls. Tneyslet Gut a whoop that rang
around the circle of indigo sea like "a Val
halla shout of Victory, and 1 fear we were
a bit undignified aft, for one of the senior
watch officers alongside US on the poop de-
Hberately threw his cap to the deck, thrust
both of his arms in the air and emitted a
series of howls that were calculated to
make the voice of our siren seem small by
COMPARISON.
docs she wave?' he hoWed .Weu
does she wave?'
The Shenandoah, probably queen Of all
the clippers in the world, bore down Ipon
US with every thread of her canvas set and
drawing-as beautiful picture as any man
ever sees in this world. And there fiutter-
lrs far above her main skys'l, Swapping in
the breeze and waving grandIy with the
OPS ana leans OF the great ship-the flag.
1t would be hard to describe the feeling we
al experienced when the Shenandoah swept
by within hundred yards of US Her
crew were just as much pleased as we were
ana she did not wait for US to dip but iust
as she swung by us like a princess in thu
pr1de OF her finery, again and again was
the banner dipped in reply to our banner
olpplhg at the mlzzen, and the clippers
crew, ranged along the weather rail min.
gfed their hoarse shouts with the tremen-
oous cheering of our man-o wars men.
When man sees the flag of his native
ianu under circumstances like these th,
memory of it Is going to abide ,,,;tb bi,, >,