The new era., 1909-06-03

dents in the early days of the school, and that are
of sufficient age to have done shade duty for many
generations of sailors before their day. are still
standing, the march of modern improvements hav
ing been SO directed to pass the ancient mon
archs by
The midshipman's life, small as is its compass is
intricate and full of interest The externals. IL
they really may be accounted eXternals, have a
world of significance. The young sailors are
hemmed in with incentives to a heroic discharge
of duty West Point has its battle flags and its
memorial tablets to the men who served their
country against its enemies land. At Annapo
lis gathered the trophies of the sea- and there
are many of them for the defeats of the ships
of the American navy were so few that line or
two of hstorys pages sufficient to record them
Perrys pennant. which flew from his flagship
the Lawrence at the battle of Lake Erie. is here.
1t is red ensign with the words of Lawrence en-
broidered on it in white letters-words that are
the rallyng cry of the men of the American
navy: Don't give up the ship" Capt. Lawrence
had been killed in the action of his ship the
Chesapeake, with the British ship Shannon only
few months before Perry engaged the enemy, but
his last injunction to his men already had become
the Yankee tars' watchword. The Lake Erie nag
is in almost perfect state of preservation.
The flag of the British brig Boxer. Capt Blyth
commanding, captured by the American brig En-
terprise off the coast of Maine is in the academys
keeping. Capt Burrows, the American command
er, killed in the very hour of his victory. Near
the Boxer trophy the flags of four of the
of Lake Erie-the Lady Provost, the Hunter, the
Little Belt, the Chippewa, and the Detroit. With
the Erie flags those of the Confidence. the
Beresford the Chubb and the Linnet, British YES
sells sunk taken by the American McDonough at
the battle of Lake ChamDlain.
Possibly the most interesting of all these spos
of the American fights is the great wooden
figure of the British lion wearing crown and
with one paw resting a globe representing the
world For arrogance of presumption the concep-
ton has equals. 1t was, of course carrying out
in sculpture the idea of the world sovereignty OF
Great Britain. When Decatur, in the ship United
States defeated and captured the British Mace
donan the lion with its globe found its
forward deck.
There are two iron long Toms" in the trophy
collection that fell into the hands of Commodore
McDonough after the victory of Lake Champain.
One of the guns has deep ndentation made by
shot from a gun of the American fleet during the
action. The British commander Commodore Down
ie was killed in this lake fight. 1t is matter of
record that he to his death by getting into
the way of the reco of of the cannons
in the Annapolis museum.
Charles Stewart, the American grandfather of
the Irish leader. Charles Stewart Parnell, made
possible the addition of two flag trophies to the
Annapolis collection. When in command of the
Constitution cold Ironsdes') he captured two
British men-ofwar, the Cyane and the Levant
which he fought the coast of the Maderas.
Stewart the fight
The navy of the United States had its full share
of making the country's history. There is pres
ent intention the part of the who have
the midshipmen in charge to let them become for
getfu of the past and the glory that has come to
the service.