New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-12
NAVY BUNTING.
puorrs FLAG OUTFIT OF WAR YES
sr1-THE FACTORY IN THE NEW
YORK NAVY YARD.

,,sre so lavish and extravagant display
.soes and bunting in New-York City as on the
u ten NJ the celebration Of Admiral Dewey's
-, I'm from his mission OF war in the Philip
Blue and white is desired as the pre-
p,ratinx colors. and for the purpose OF uni
u'- ,,,, and symmetry Of decoration II Is re-
-,aa that this shall be placed at the third
~ ~ buildings" was the suggestion made
- Committee on Decorations. Blue and
vss suggested as noted. because IT is the
~,,zed combination Of colors Of the Admiral
.ha Navy. his flag or pennant being blue
ralorram with white stars. SO, too is the
Zen. Of the rear admiral II he should be the
- rear admiral present. but his flag has two
IS onlv whereas that OF the Admiral has four
rs II there should be two rear admirals in
s.,roand present at the same time, the Junior
I'D display 4 red pennant. and If three should
=. ,,esent on duty at the same time in the same
-. .be senior would display blue pennant, the
-, n rank red one and the junior a white
one.
o., 10 return TO the display Of bunting on
,,.7rsv Dav. Il was observed that on the public
,uudings there was display Of bunting made
=, ,,to flags OF various shapes and designs. the
-.o,o-tv Of which were recognized by mariners
.s belonging 10 the 1ag family OF the sea, and
..,ac,allv of the Navy. The Navy ships seemed
- he enveloped in flags in rainbow formation
from the bow to the tops Of the masts and
.hs, running TO the stern, and on the sides Of
.ba ships from the rails to topmast head. The
necessity for so many different patterns and de-
signs was hardly appreciated by the ordinary
,anssran who had not been able to acquaint
himself with their significance and many
--obably thought that ii was not an economical
,sA NJ their taxes 10 make flags merely for
making ship look picturesque at some cele-
bra,ion. Il may be explained IN word TO the
,oy.ce that 10 ship Of the Navy carries flag
NJ pennant from the ensign. as the Stars and
str,nes are called, to the coachwhp that has
not its special use
AN EXTENSIVE FLAG OUTFIT.
The bunting required fer Navy ships outfit
&c something enormous. not only in yards Of
measurement but also in dollars and cents for
there must be the fair weather and the storm
ensign. the Union Jack. the church flag, the
neal pennant. flags Of foreign nations 10 dis
nlav when entering foreign port or when
saluting foreign official the National and IN
tsrnational signal codes. the conversational
flags etc And the flag outfit must be ready
and on board when the vessel goes into com
mission for after the commander has read the
orders OF the Navy Department assigning him
10 the command in the presence OF the o1ncers
and crew, his first order to the officer next III
rank known as the executive officer. is: HOIST
the ensign and break the pennant. The latter
Ia the "coachwhip" the long. narrow red, white
and blue combination that flies from the mast
head of every naval vessel while in commission;
and the ensign is the American flag that flies
from the staff over the stern or from the
Inizzengaf on each day from 5 a m TIL sun
down upon a vessel in active service. the woTo
commission" meaning ready for active service
os anv sort TIE remnant either the fair
weather one or that for bad weather, is flown
from the masthead day and night from the
hour the vessel goes into commission until her
officers and crew are detached from her and she
IS laid UP in ordinary OF for repairs
Flags or bunting 10 a warship both Ian
cuage and dress. They were used by Admiral
Dewey in giving orders to the individual com
u,anders Of the vessels OF his feet when it en-
tered the Bay Of Manila on the morning Of May
1895 to destroy the Spanish feet Of Admiral
Nontoio and to silence the forts on land They
vtre used for the same purpose in the fleet that
DESTROYED Admiral Cervera's squadron on July
. 1885 when il attempted 70 escape 10 the hlgh
COS IRON, Santiago Harbor They were used by
Admiral Farragut in leading the fleet wlth-tne
Hartford up the Mississippi River past the Goh-
feGerate forts in the early part or the CiVl " ar.
The flags would nave been used also at me
burial service OF the men who fought oehlho
the guns in the war with Spain, had there pseh
any occasion for burial services. rags are as
riaved when religious services are helnS ne!u
on board ship when powder is oeing TAKEN
IN board, when the crew are at meals when tns
small boats are at manGuvres and wnen there
is 4 celebration Of any import
HUNDREDS OF FLAGS NEEDED.
I. viii thus be seen that bunting on warship
is great power Of speech and the number Oh
flags that a ship Of the Navy carries especially
one Of the larger class, is not limited TO dozen
or score. but runs into hundreds glimpse
IN the loft OF the New-York Navy Haro Wllcn
NAV be rightly called a flag factory, Whert d
large NUN her OF women are employed III i1ak-
ing the flags that men have cut INTO shdpeS
from the bales Of bunting brought IN IRON tie
storsroom, would give visitor solne r1e@
he vast amount OF work done in TINS pariIcuIai
art ~ the equipment Of the Navy. Ine punt
ng Il purchased from the mahulactuIsI D. ~ ~
Il is not accepted until 1t has been testeu -! .mo
Govorr-,ent experts for color and for It's tensile
strength Unless Il comes UP TO the stahdaru
o. test il is rejected and returned 70 tne con.
tractor The cutters take the bunting PuiI
chased and fashion It into proper s.zes as'G
shares as 10 the blue field and wldths anu
isng,he Of stripes ard the diagonals ana squares
for pennants etc. and next the stels az -
out These patterns are then pas - 1ornos
sewers who put them together lhto IIe4 ~. -
for ensign. Union Jack, numbers letters "olus'
etc 80 ..
The largest Navy ensign for special o. aHa airs
and for Sunday ard general muster Is 90 III
long ana 10 feet wide (or hoist, as the ndutlCdi
term isl In this the blue field or union. Is w.
ffths Of its length and about ive-ninths OF us
width There are five different widths o. ato ,re
FAY heinz O.. feet long and "a feet wide: There
is another smaller ensign, measuring o. ieer
long and % FEET wide, but it is Ised oh'y tb U
Inc gig cutters and other small oea l ne ~
ship Tas coachwhip. or commandant pei, on,
IS a long. triangular flag. with blue field, con.
ianing thirteen stars and two long s'ripe'
req and the other white. x.oh e. soroe-
The homeward bound pennapt whlcH - :. rs
times roa6s for a shin bv its friends when u has
been ordered home after three years fron,,ois
as FOR instance. in the case when tne - few
cane home from the Asiatlc oqua. . 81 ~
Anerioans l.. - I1ornn led by a. Noel Blaze