The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1908-09-17
Some FLAGS and Others.

we talk of the Stars and Stripes as
the flag Of the United States, and 1t
Is certainly that, but there are sew
eral others used for special purposes.
For instance, there is the Presi-
dents flag. This has a spread eagle on
blue field, with a curved row of thir-
teen stars above It. The flag Of the
Secretary Of War Is made of scarlet
silk with the eagle and four stars in
the corners. If you see a blue flag with
a white anchor in the centre, you may
be sure that it is the flag Of the Secre-
tary Of the Navy, and that the honor
ed gentleman is on the ship or in the
building over which 1t floats" says the
Children's Missionary Friend.
Then, for the army, there are diff
ferent flags. That Of the commanding
general, which floats over his head
quarters has a blue field on which are
the arms Of the United States in
brown and gold. The regimental flags
for the United tSates infantry are
blue, for the cavalry yellow, and for
the artillery scarlet.
Then, for our ships, there are seven
flags denoting different ranks aside
from that of the Secretary Of the
Navy, They are all blue with white
stars. And more than this, every
United ~,ates naval ship carries a full
set Of the fags Of other countries and
of signal flags. You wonder why they
need the flags of other countries? They
are used for purposes of courtesy If
foreign vessel, for instance, visits one
of Our ports. It runs up the United
States flag as a compliment to the coun'
try whose guest It is. We do the
same thing on our vessels when they
go a.visiting. And as for the signal
-'wigwagging the sailors call it
you know that it Is by these flags that
daytime messages are sent from ship
to ship. Oftentimes the ship sending
the message is too far from the one
receiving it to read the order with the
naked eye, but an officer with a tele.
scope sees what flag is used and what
It denotes. Certain flags mean certain
words and phrases, and certain mo.
lions, especially when signaling is
done on land, have meanings Of their
own.
Suppose, for instance, that it was
to send a message to New
York city of the approach Of a feet at
The far eastern end Of Long Island.
All along the Long Island shore signal
stations have been established, with
men on watch day and night. The mo-
ment the fleet was discovered, the
Waterman in the most eastern station 4
would announce it, and his signal 1
would be repeated.
This method is used where there
IRE no telegraph lines, or where such
ines could not be well used for
military or naval purposes
Flag signals we're often used In the
civil War. and to one belongs a story:
In the autumn of 1862 General SheI'
nan was preparing for his March to
he Sea- General Corse was guard !
ng his supplies at Allatoona Pass,
nut was ATTACKED by Confederates'
md in danger Of defeat. Then Gener' |
Il sherman went to the signal station |
md wrote the famous dispatch, Hold |
he fort, for am sending rein
lanes Graham. the soldier in
barce. "wigwagged" it, and the mes
age passed from station TO station un'
II It reached the pass. Troops fol-
owed and the victory was won. Ora
am is still living in Newton, Mass.
General Shermans dispatch gave
Use to the well.known hymn, Hold
be Fort"
OIL More Economical, y