The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-09-10
THE VANDALIA'S FLAG.
A Relic of the Great Disaster at Apia Is
Now Preserved at Annapolis.

A Relic of the Great Disaster at Apia Is
Now Preserved at Annapolis.
When the ships went down in the
hurricane which filled Apia harbor with
wrecks few years ago there was no
time to save anything, nor did any one
have any thought of salvage, save of
winning his own way through the
savage whirl of waters to the beach.
The souvenirs came later, when the
gale had blown itself out and the
beach began to be strewn with frag-
ments of the stout fabrics which once
had been fine ships. Go where one
will on the north coast Of Upolu, it is
not difficult to find some bit of the
the Trenton or the Vandalia, piece
of mast or spar, deck grating, or
cup and plate of the crews mess equip
ment.
The most treasured of all such
memorials was the 24foot ensign
which the Vandalia flew. When the
divers brought it up from the wreck,
Lieutenant Carlin, with the consent
of Admiral Kimberley, deposited it at
the United States consulate as a SOU
yenir. This was the old consulate,
close by the mouth of the Vaisigans
river, and quite near the spot where
the Vandalia came to destruction.
| NNbo,, tbo nou- oo,cu1o4o ororDI tho
point in Vaiala was occupied the gen.
erous wall surface offered place on
which to drape the historic ensign,
supported by rusted cutlasses which
were recovered from the wrecks. Here
it hung for several years, until it was
time to paint the wall again. Then it
was found that the bunting had stuck
fast to the paint in places, and the
painters, in stripping it loose, were
tearing it. This seemed Dissertation
in the eyes of the lad of the consul
late, and she personally undertook its
removal with the aid of hot water.
Finally the flag was soaked free and
spread in the bright sunlight to dry
Its long soaking at the bottom of the
harbor had rotted the bunting and il
could be handled onl y with the utmost
care. Even when it was laid away ii
the flag locker it was still fast going
to pieces under the combined rayages
of mildew and insects, the two grea
enemies of everything in those exces
sively humid islands. The flag wa
carried on the property return of tn
Apia consulate and it took year o
red tape and correspondence to get i
transferred to the state department IL
Washington. Finally the necessar,
permission was received and the Van
dallas flag was boxed for shipment
AS it was carefully laid in the box
camphor was thickly sprinkled i
every fold and the operation wa
gravely superintendent by the offici'
kitten. That irreverent animal fin
ished by crawling into the box an
narrowly escaped being shipped away
The last public appearance of the fla
was at the Independence day celebrs
: ton last year, when it was dlsplaye
between two cocoanut trees at til
picnic of the American children
Apia. When the flag was received
. Washington it was turned over to IL
navy department. Then it waspromp
" sent to the naval museum at Al
/ napolis, where it will be cherishe
Q among the other objects which reca
u the great events of our naval hlstor
9 none of which will be longer remen
Il bered than the great Apia gale
y March, 1889.