The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-01-02
|PERRYS FLAGSHIP, IR[ NIAGARA, IO.B[ |
RAISED FOR The ERIE CENTENNIAL |
Terrific Fight Inspiration Of
the Great Picture at
Washington.

$4,000 S'*szFSzs>zt>xs>Ss*
exposure to the enemy's guns. The
British at once perceived what was
doing.
LAS the smoke cleared from around
the hull of the Lawrence they saw the
daring act of the commander, trans
ferring his flag from one ship to an
other. His own, 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 over again. Victory or de-
feat was turning in the issue. ,-.'
Subject For Immortal Canvas.
1.-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 were unhurt. Perry con-
tinued to stand up as target until
the faithful seamen refused to pull
unless he would sink down to posi-
ton of greater safety
This is the scene which is so dramat-
ically shown in w. III. Powelps great
canvas in the capitol at Washington
and made familiar to millions of Amer
leans through reproductions in steel
engraving. mezzotint and illustration
Of school histories. THE Battle of
Lake Erie was painted by order of
congress in 1865 at a cost of $4,000.
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 strip three inches
wide and thirty inches long near the
artists signature.
.The shot from the enemys 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 battle1ag was flying above the
unhurt ship" 81. -4-:. Il
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 hurricane down upon
the enemy's line. cut the British feet
in two right in the middle, three YES
sells on the right, three upon the left,
broa0side after broadside on either
hand. death and destruction in his re-
sistless wake. - ..&=z..e-~ /.
! 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 comes
the British flag. We had met the enc
my and they were ours, 1.-TWO ships,
two briggs. one schooner and one sloop,"
said Perry in his report to Harrison,
written on the back of an old letter,
his hat for desk. .->.. =....
The victor did not in the elation of
his triumph forget the situation
around him. He 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,
slipping in pools of blood as they came.
Perry babe bis antagonists retain their
swords, his the chivalry of one whom
the fortunes Of war had given the pow
er but not the right to humiliate
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 were buried on the
shore.
The losses had been very great. On
the American twenty-seven were killed
and ninety wounded this out of
force of but little more than 400 effec-
tive men. The loss Of the British was
Iorty-one killed and ninety-four wound
ed, the gallant Captain Barclay, who
had already lost an arm, having the
misfortune to lose the other
! \ ! J.
| 100000 to Teach Farmers.
Officials of the international Harves-