The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-02-12

AS .ue SuOke CledreO from 0rOU0C
the hull Of the Lawrence they saw the
daring act of the commander, trans.
ferring his flag from one ship to an.
other. His W vessel was shattered
to death. but there was the Niagara,
hale and strong. Should he succeed
in making her deck the battle would
be to fight owe again. Victory or de-
feat was turning in the issue.
Subject For Immortal Canvas.
THE British guns opened on the lit.
tie boat. Discharge after discharge
followed. Some of the shots struck
the frail cookie, and the splinters flew,
but the men We're unhurt. Perry con-
tinued to stand up as a target until
the faithful seamen refused to pull
unless he would sink down to a posi-
ton of greater safety"
This is the scene which is so dramat-
ically shown in w. II. Powell's great
canvas in the capitol at Washington
and made familiar to millions of Amer
leans through reproductions in steel
IdV|LotAlIl anu 4lluSlllLlOu
OF school histories. The Battle of
Lake Erie" was painted by order of
congress in 1865 at a cost of ~ 5000.
The canvas is thirty-five feet long and
twenty-five feet high. The artist dis
played admirable patriotism and fire
in handling the inspiring subject, and
the painting is the most popular in the
capitol collection. Countrywide atten.
ton was attracted to it in 1911, when
the discovery was made that a vandal
had cut from it a strip three inches
wide and thirty inches long near the
artists signature.
THE shot from the enemy's guns
knocked the water into spray around
them" continues the historian, paint
ing his verbal picture, "but the boat
reached the Niagara in safety, and
Perry was taken up. A moment more
and his battleflag was flying above the
unhurt ship"
Thrilling is the story of how, his foot
upon the deck Of the Niagara, his bat
tie flag again flying at the fore. Perry
swooped like a hurricane down upon
the enemy's line. cut the British feet
in w right in the middle, three YES
sells on the right. three upon the left,
broadside after broadside on either
hand. death and destruction in his re-
s;stless wake.
Victory In Half Hour.
Thirty minutes, and all is over The
brave English commander, Barclay.
hors de combat. his second in COM
mand. Finnis. killed. Human nature
could hold out no longer. Down m
the British flag. We had met the enc
my and they were ours, 1.-TWO ships.
briggs. schooner and one sloop."
Perry in his report to Harrison,
written on the back of an old letter,
his hat for Il desk.
The victor did not in the elation Of
his triumph forget the situation
him. lie caused himself to be
transferred from the still unhurt Nj
agara to the bloody deck Of the Law
renee. There, and not in some other
place, would he receive the surrender
of the enemy.
The British officers as they came up
to present their swords had to pick
their way through dead and dying,
in pools of blood as they came.
Perry bade his antagonists retain their
swords. his the chivalry OF one whom
the fortunes OF war had given the pow
err but not the right to humiliate Il
fallen foe.
In the silence of the following night
the dead sailors, British and American,
were consigned to their last rest in the
clear waters Of Lake Erie. The next
day Perry brought back to Put-in-Bay
his own and the captured fleet. Sail
ing into the harbor, the dead officers Of
both commands We're buried on the
shore.
The losses had been very great. On
the American twenty-seven were killed
and ninety wounded-this out of a
force OF but little more than 400 effec-
i've men. The loss of the British was
'orty-one killed and ninety-four wound
"a. the gallant Captain Barclay, who
lad already lost an arm, having the
misfortune to lose the other.
100000 to Teach Farmers.
Officials Of the International Haryes- |
.er company announced the establish
Of an agricultural service bureau
IN a broader scale than heretofore at
empted by private corporations. Pro-
Perry &. Holden, formerly a
lean in the Iowa State Agricultural