The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-08
FLAGS OF THE. UNITED STATES,
Many More of Them Than Popularity
:" Supposed.

Many More of Them Than Popularity
Supposed.
After the national colors. which Of
course take precedence of all other
flags, comes the Jack, or, more COM
monty, the Union Jack. This flag is
simply the Union" taken out of the
main colors, and it is exclusively the
distinguishing flag Of the navy.
The president of the United States,
who is the head Of the army and navy
is entitled to the first "ranking'' flag
in the country. The presidents flag
Is a spread eagle-the national coat
of-arms-mounted on blue field sur
mounted by a curved row of thirteen
stars. 1t is five feet six inches long
by four feet four inches wide, is made
OF the finest quality Of seamless silk,
and is trimmed with, yellow fringe
Next to the presidents. colors come
the flags of the secretaries of war and
navy. That for the secretary of war
was adopted as recently as March 8,
1897. 1t is made Of. scarlet silk, and
is otherwise identical with the presi-
dents flag, with the exception that the
thirteen stars are replaced by four
white stars in the corners. The special
nag for the secretary Of the navy has
blue field, and instead of the national
coat-of-arms is embroidered with a
white anchor in the center.
FOLLOWING Is the order of rank, the
most important flag in the army, next
to that of the Secretary Of war, Is the
united States army headquarters
standard. Ii has blue field gorgeously
embroidered with the national arms In
brown and gold. Wherever it appears
in active service it denotes the presence
OF the general commanding the army
or his nearest ranking general
In a regular line CT march every regi-
menT composing an army carries at it's
front the national colors, bearing on
the fourth red stripe from the top the
number of the regiment and it's char
acter, whether infantry, cavarly or ar
tlliery. Besides this, it carries a regi-
mental nag on which is embroidered
national coat-of-arms similar to that
ON the presidents special flag. The
reg1mental flag for the infantry Is blue;
the cavalry is yellow The artillery
and battalion colors for engineers are
both scarlet, but the flag for engineers
pears three-turreted castle instead of
the spread eagle.
Detached troops Of cavalry and ar
t1llery carry small guidons or pennants
bearing the troop number and letter.
Ihe regulation colors for the army
whether national or regimental, meas
ure 1--WE and one-half feet long by four
feet four inches wide. All service"
hags are made of bunting; colors for
ceremony are Of silk The trimmings,
fringe and cord and tassels of all flags
must conform to the regulation colors
OF the division to whicts they belong.
Flag pixies are ninefeets long and an
inch and half in diameter in the CEN
ter, taperfng slightly toward the ends.
The pike is tipped With 81 nickel-plated
spearhead in the shape OF heart.
In the navy there are seven flags
designating rank, aside from the special
flag of the secretary of tile navy. Next
70 mis- is the assistant secretary's, an
exact counterpart of theE former, only
tnat the colors are reversed All the
remaining flags have blue field and
Whfte stars; the ORDER being, for adj
mlrals, four stars; for vice admirals,
three stars: for rear admirals, two
stars; for commodore, one star in CEN
ter OF blue pennant The captains
pennant is strip of bunting fifteen
Ieet long, with thirteen stars in a blue
neld and red and~white stripe. Last
OF all is small triangular pennant
with dead blue field denoting the
senior officers presence in the absence
OF the captain of a ship.
Inc special flag of the officer highest
N rank invariably floats from the
main OF the vessel he Is on. When
tne secretary of the navy visits a ship
Oh war, the commanding officers colors
are Immediately lowered from the
masthead and the secretary's flag takes
us place. During a squadron cruise the
CAPTAIN OF the flagship never flies his