Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-10-31
PRESERVING NAVY'S
HISTORIC FLAGS
Priceless Relics Of Many Daring
Fights.
SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION.
By Woman's SkiIIful NeedlewOTk-
Mrs. Amelia Fowler.

ram
Writing for "Lslie's Weekly" OF
October 80, Mrs. Charles r. Miller,
of Baltimore, has the following in
teresting story of the flags at the
Naval Academy and their preserva-
ton, which story is illustrated with
numerous pictures made from photo
graphs by Armstrong. Mrs. Miller
says:
Congress in 1914 authorized the
Secretary of the Navy to collect all
foreign flags captured by the Navy.
and in ls49 President Polk turned
the collection over to the Naval Aead-
envy. Commander George u. Upshur,
who was then the Commandment. had
the trophies carefully folded and pat
away in boxes. IRON time to time
other flags were sent to the Academy
only TO meet with the same fate. la
June, 1887, number of the flags
were put in cases but no special effort
was made to keep the cases sealed.
In 1900, when Rear Admiral Howard
came on duty at the Naval Academy,
he discovered that the precious relics
were detsriorating rapidly and had
them repacked with moth balls in old
powder cans. More than $50 flags,
banners, etc, were known to be stow
ed away.
"The various patriotic societies of
the country became interested and
considered the advisability of asking
Congress to make an appropriation
which would lead to better preser-
walton of the emblems, but no action
was taken until Commander C. C.
Cole was assigned to duty at the
Academy. He became the chairman
of the Committee on Memorials at
the Naval School and one of his first
duties was to make an examination
of the flags. Congress had made
small appropriation-about $4,000,
for the preservation of the flags kept
at the Naval Academy but when
Commander Cole opened the boxes he
fond many of them moth-eaten and
in tatters. He at once began a cor
respondeuce with Mrs. Amelia Fow-
Ter, VINO had done some remarkable
work in the preservation of the
State flags of Massachusetts.
'Mrs. Fowler came to Annapolis
and the two made careful estimate
Of the cost of preserving those stored
at Annapolis. The small sum appro-
priated was found to be totally in
adequate for the work, so Commander
Cole set about to secure an extra
allowance. Representative A. L..
Bates. a member of the House Naval
Committee, introduced bill in the
House of Representatives appropriate
Ing $40. 600 for the work Of preser-
walton. Senator Penrose, of Penn
ylvania, introduced a duplicate bill
in the Senate. To prove how neces-
sary it was that the measure be rush
ed If the flags were TO be saved, Com
mander Coils appe AIRED before the COM
mittee, bringing the remnants of one
Of the most historic flags. 1t was so
moth-eaten that the men would have
been unable to tell to what country
it belonged had not Commander Cole
fitted parts of it together. He as
sured them that Mrs. Fowler coulC
do the work if they wouldIprovide the
money necessary for the material and
labor Admiral Dewey end General
Horace Porter We're both eager for
the passage of the bill. 1t was final
ly passed and approved by the Presi-
dent on April 8, 1919.
Mrs. Fowler was Immediately
put in charge of the work, but it was
several months before she could get
down to the actual repairing of the
flags; certain kind of linen had TO
be used for their backing and this
had to be imported. 1t is material
of the same type as was used in some
tapestries made nearly a thousand
years ago by the wife of the Duke of
Normandy and which, although they
have been on exhibition at various
places, are still in perfect condition
These tapestries are known at pres
ent as the Bayeux tapestries. AS
this linen had to be specially woven
some little time was required, and
twelve hundred yards of this material
was imported at the cost of So, 100.
1t is rather heavy linen in the
natural shade. 1t is impossible to
tear it, and even a single threat of it
will cut through the skin of ones
hand before it can be broken. Then,
too, it was necessary to have special
colors, so dyer was enga led. This
man spent days, even months, in
dyeing Iipen thread and silk in the
shades required, under the direction
of Mrs. Fowler. After the desired
shade was attained, she saw that il
was tested as to fading under the
strongest sunlight, and if it failed to
stand the test other dyeing mate rial
was used
(Continued)