The Cairo bulletin., 1913-07-11
MEMORIAL
MM0||ST MAGNIFICENT
/ IN WHOLE WORLD
(By Congressman Clyde T. Taven-
ner.)

(By Congressman Clyde T. Tsven- !
ner.)
Washington, July 10.-On Sep
TENDER 10, on the little Lake Erie
island of Put-in-Bay. c., there will
be held the significant celebration
in construction with the magnificent
memorial which is to commemorate
the conclusion of century of peace
between the United States and Great
Britain and the battle of Lake Erie
won BY the American commodore,
oliver Hazard Perry, on September
10, 1913.
The memorial itself will be one
of the most magnificent. from an
architectural standpoint, in the
whole world 1t Is said that no ma
ton of Europe has ever honored
military hero with monument of
such impressiveness. Ten states and
the federal government have con-
tributed to erect this splendid mon
ument to one who was little more
than a boy and to battle which,
lin these days of Dreadnaughts, sub
marines and mines, seems hardly
more exciting than skirmish be-
tween rowboats in pond.
Nevertheless, the battle fought
between the tiny ships of Perry and
the tiny ships of the British COM
mander was, in its effect uvon the
destiny of this nation, one of the
| most important in our history. Ex-
cept for it and the land successes of
General William Henry Harrison in
the War of 1912, the western bound
airy of the United States today would
| probably be the Mississippi river,
while the northern boundary might
| be the Ohio. with the chain of the
Great Lakes entirely within the Do
m nion of Canada.
/ The theater of war in 1912 shift
| ed to the Great Lakes when Captain
| Dobbins, of Erie, Pa, Yankee mar
/ liner of the lakes, travelled through
| the wilderness to Washington to tell
4 President Madison of the complete
supremacy OF the British on the
/ northern frontier and the danger to
the unprotected settlers from Indian
massacres. Captain Dobbns told his
story at the Presidents cabinet
Injecting, and as a result was sent
back to Erie with $4,000 and COM
lmissioned to begin the construction
| of navy. Today $4,000 would
hardly repair bent plate on bat
tleship. In 1913 it was sufficient to
guarantee the construction of a 40
| tilla.
/ While the workmen under Cap
tain Dobbins were hewing the oak
and chestnut from the primeval for
| est for the construction Of five ships
| {tbe largest of them ito feet long,
| about the size of@big modern tug
boatsl, Commodore Perry, aged 81
who was in command of 2 fotila OF
| gunboats at Newport, r. l., jour
| neyed to Washington and asked to
i be transferred to Lake Erie. He was
| accordingly assigned to take com
mand of the fleet being built at
Eric.
The young commodore, taking
with him his little brother, lad o.
4 13, and command of 200 men. SET
out on an arduous winter iournev
to Lake Erie. When he arrived he
found his boats nearly ready for
Launching. To .outfitf them with
| guns and ammunition meant hara
overland Journeys to Pittsburg and
Buffalo; dragging back the equip
ment on rude carts. The fleet was
launched in the early summer OF
1873. -w
The battle which followed is
known to every schoolBoy, After
days of ANXIOUS. waiting the sails of
the enemy were at last seen on the
horizon. Perry 'ugfurled his battle
flag with the'inspiring' motto, Don't
give up the ship" His vessel, the
Lawrence, sustained the brunt of
the attack, and finally sunk under
the youffg commanders feet. But
he transferred his flag to the Niags
ara. making the hazardous trip in
an open boat. and in brief space of
ltime The battle was won, American
supremacy was established on the
| Great Lakes, and the northwest ter
ritory was restored to the United
States.