Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-03

Capt. Lamberton and Flag Lieutenant
Brumby received the committee. ADJ |
miral Dewey grasped the hand of Mail
Gen. Miles as he stepped aboard, and
said:
IAN glad to see you, general"
When the committee reached the
Olympia each member was cordially |
greeted by Admiral Dewey, but the
warmest handclasp and heartiest greet
|ingwas for the admiraPs lifelong friend,
Senator Redfield Proctor, of Vermont.
The admiral presented each of the visit
ors to Captain Lamberton and then all
went to the admirafs cabin, where the
committee presented the program for
the Washington celebration, and the
admiral expressed his entire satisfac-
ton with it.
Mr.. Pruden presented an invitation
10 dinner from the president, and
ADMIRAL Dewey accepted it.
Commander George w. Baird, who
sailed with Farragut and Dewey in the
West Gulf squadron in 1861, unroll-
| ed package which he had carefully
guarded all the way to the Olympia
and displayed faded blue admiral's
ensign, upon which were stitched four
white stars. He said to Admiral Dew
ley:
admiral, wish to present to you
| the first admirals flag ever broken out
in the navy OF this country. That
grand old admiral whose name and
memory all SO revere first hoisted this
ensign upon the good ship Hartford
before New Orleans. and afterwards up
on the Franklin, and since it came
tdown from that masthead it has never
ffeen whipped by the wind or worn by
| the elements. You, the worthy success
or of that great admiral, whose tactics
You so successfully followed short
while ago, / deem the proper person
for Farragut's mantle to fall upon.
"trnis flag was made by Quarter
master Knowles out OF 4 blue number
flag when Farragut was first made a
fiear admiral. Two white stars were
isewed on ii. When Farragut was made
an admiral two more white stars were
sewed on it. FarragIt few this flag
on the Hartford at New Orleans
and afterwards in the Mcditerrane-
LAM
Admiral Dewey was deeply affected
and tears were in his eyes as he gazed
II at the souvenir. 1t was several mo-
Inlents before he could find his voice.
4 finally he said:
I sIll fly it. III fly it at the masthead
I'll A fly it in the paratle-f'll fly it al
ways-and- and--when strike my adj
rliral's flag this will be the flag 1 shall
j strike"
j This was the most impressive scene
Il that has occurred on the Olympia
since her arrival in this port, and for
ome time no one spoke.
Il The silence was broken by Dewey.
who called his Chinese steward and or
j oered a case OF champaign.
j The Washingtoniaus remained on
! hoard chatting with the admiral for
!, IAN hour. A portion Of the committee
4 left for Washington at $3.50 o'clock.
i There is an interesting history CON
i Injected with the old flag SO much priz-
; ed by the new admiral. When Farra-
. gut was made a rear admiral during
!. the civil war, a quartermaster named
J, l movies, the same man who passed
: lashings around Farragut in the rig
i sing of his ship, improvised rear adj
: trails flag, which was used ON the
i artford. When Farragut was promot.
led to a full admiral. Knowles added
| two stars, making it four, and this was
E tie original flag of the United States
navy.
II When Farragut afterward sailed in
!, to the Mediterranean he used this
/ same flag. Some time after this the
: flag was placed in storage at the naval
: academy at Annapolis, Md. It remain
flea there until the bronze statue OF
{ tdmiral Farragut was unveiled in
!. Washington in 1851.
II AT the time one of the survivors oil
E ltle Hsrtford's crew, Bartholomew Dig.
i ms, now captain of the watch at the
E ayy building in Washington, was Sc.
e l,cted to break the stops, which moi
e only unveiled the statue hut also ,un
/, furled this old and original admirars
j flag. After these ceremonies Diggin.
J, was permitted to keep the flag, pro
t yiding he turned in a new one in it.
s place. He complied with this condi
b i on, and decided to let the public
t know of the prize he had in his pos
e ,ssion. The first time he displayed
d III, some time later, he was called upor
G 10 deliver speech on the naval relic
e Icing very much embarrassed he wa
d Unable to respond and decided neye
5, to exhibit il. again.
II Diggins kept the flag in hiding unit
d lie learned that Commander Baird wa
j. DING to New York to meet Admira
J,ewey. All three had arrived togeth
er, and Diggins decided that the fiai
}. rightfully belonged to the successor o
Iarragut, so he gave it to Commando
" Laird, 10 be presented to Admira
& I'ewey.
,e ----
Ia THE SECOND DAY.
g
le ceremonies Of New York,s welcome I