The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-06

by naval sham battle on the bay. de.
plotting tho Battle OF Lake Erie.
! The principal features on Friday
Will be the fraterDal parade in the af-
ternoon. In which all the uniformed
bodies of the city VIII appear In full
regal!a, and the uniformed orders VIII
! furnish decorated floats emblematic Of
! the historical event and the street car
| nival or Mard!-Gras In tho evening. at
which every one will masque for a gen
eral good time During the masque
! carnival there will be a massed band
| concert in the square
! Saturday. the closing day OF the cele-
/ bration has been designated as Indus
/ trial Day or Erie Day. In the after
noon there Will be a civic and indus
| trial parade Floats have been pre-
! turers. emblematic of the celebration,
as well as floats depicting the indus
| trial progress OF the city. Following
| this there will be an exhibition parade
| by the city fire department.
! In the evening preceding a massed
band concert in the square, the Niagara
Will sail out OF the harbor as she did
! q hundred years ago After leaving
| Erie she will visit other lake ports and
participate In commemorative celebra-
tons.
| Sword on Exhibition.
A'ulii the week OF celebration the
sword used by Perry at the battle will
be on exhibition. as we'll as a brace Of
I pistols. and his flag inscribed Don't
| Give UP the Ship" The sword has
been lent by Perry Belmont. OF New
York. a grandson of Commodore NJ O.
Ferry. the brother of Commodore oliver
! hazard Perry, the hero OF the battle
Mrs Alexander Perry. Of Washington
d. c.. lent the pistols. The nag is the
property Of tic government. Comn,o-
! iore NJ. Fry commanded the n.,a;
| FORCES % The United States duri..r IN.
mexican W.. anc later opened Up .n~
ports OF Japan 10 american conmerco
The reli 5 ',r y, cured through ne
efforts OF Secretary of the Navy
Daniels. who has provided suitabl
guard for them during the time they
VIII be on exhibition.
Erie Is a particularly propitious place
tor the holding of celebration in hon
or or the famous battle of Lake Erie
/ although the battle itself took place
on the western end OF the lake IL was
~ Erie that the boats Of the Commo-
cores fleet were built and manned
me close OF the frst summer of the
war or 1872 saw the British in full
| possession of Lake Erie General Van
rensselaer, was defeated at Niagara.
IN an unsuccessful attempt to conquer
upper Canada and General Hull had
surrendered at Detroit The brig
Adams OF $50 tons, the only wa vessel
on the lakes flying the American flag
in 1912, had been captured. The british
mad only TO use their fleet OF five vessels
10 erect a landing on the southern
shores or the lake and march inland
TO the heart Of the United States. Cen
eral Harrison was in command OF the
, northwestern army. with Headquarters
at Sandusky. but 1t was a we'll known
iact that he would be unable to check
the advance OF the British, once thew
started south. A fleet was necessary
10 guard the southern shores of the
lake' ana endeavor to drive the British
! from Lake Erie.
I Captain Dobbins, commander of a
merchant vessel plying this lake, had
been captured by the British and re-
leased after which he carried the first
official news OF the surrender of De-
trcit to President Madison at Wash
inGton. Dobbins explained the situa-
ton on Lake Erie and was commits
stoned to return to his native town Of
Erie and superintend the building of
an American fleet Work was begun in
October of 1912. and with only one
ship carpenter picked up at Buffalo.
and the aid of house carpenters and any
one who could handle an axe, saw or
hammer, trees we're felled and the
| boats constructed.
In 1911, Oliver Hazard Perry, then a
lieutenant from Rhode Island. ran the
Revenge on SnOre at watch Hill, X. l.,
and wrecked her In storm. He was
tried by court-martial, but acquitted
He failed to get a command when the
War OF 1912 broke out. He later ap-
piled to Commodore Chauncey and was
ordered to report at Erie. Perry re-
ported at Erie. where the work Of
building the fleet was in progress. In
May OF 1913. he and Captain Dobbins
went down to Lake Ontario. leaving
Commander Taylor In charge OF the
building at Erie. Fort George fell and
the British evacuated the Niagara River
frontier. Perry purchased five vessels,
lying below Black Rock, tho brig
Catalonia, schooner Somers, sloop
Trippe and the schooners Ohio and
Amelia, each carrying one and two
twenty-four and twelve pound guns.
and started with this notilla to join
the fleet under construction at Erie.
The British feet heard of this move
Of Perrys and took steps to intercept
him. The British squadron at that
thine was made up Of the Queen Char
lotte with seventeen guns, Lady Provost
| ,S&I. tt,fr ltt.