Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-11-01
PRESERVING hAVY'S
HISTORIC FLAGS
Priceless Relics Of Many Daring
Fights.
SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION.
By WOman's SkiIIiul Needlework-
Mrs. Amelia Fowler.

II WIS OeciOeC tDgst t0S Work wal
TO be done in the Academic Building
at the Naval Academy. Duiing The
early part of last July Mrs. Fowler
arrived in Annapolis. She at once
engaged about seventy-fve needle,
women and began her colossal task
for the number Of flags by this tims
reached IT'S, three fourths Of the n
badly damaged. The big auditorium
used by the midshipmen as q theatre
was cleared of seats and turned ovel
20 Mrs. Fowler as a workroom. Sew.
eral large pine tables were especially
constructed for the work.
1.-The stout linen cloth was first laid
out n the table; the piece used fol
each fag being exactly the size OF
the emblem TO be preserved. Their
the tattered flag was spread out on
the linen. Many of the flags were in
small pieces, and TO see Mrs. Fowler
putting the tiny scraps in their prop
er plac.s was like watching somebody
work out an intricate puzzle. The
ravages of moths had made many
gaps between the pieces these Were
not filled in, for the work was one of
preservation and not of restoration
with new material.
"When each part was in its proper
place, the whole thing was fastened
to the table with tape and thumb.
screws forming siI-inch squares.
The first week was devoted by Mrs.
Fowler 10 instructing her assistants
in the intricate stitches that were 70
be used in ge ting the bunting to Sc I
smoothly to the linen, for although
the stitch used dates back to the
early Egyptians, it is by no means q
common one in present.day embroid-
cry. Looking down from the gallery.
the place reminded one of an old.
fashioned quilting party on a grand
scale.
"Ater the work was laid off, each
Of the squares was numbered and Q
card bearing the number placed upC n
it, Certain girls were assigned to
the different blocks and by this meth
cd Mrs. Fowler could easily learn ex-
actly who was doing the best work.
The stitch used literally quilted the
bunting TO the linen, presenting
meshes about a quarter of an inch
square, When there was a gap in
the flag the mesh netting covered the
space. When a row Of squares had
been completed, they were rolled 40
at one end on heavy roller which bad
been arranged under the table, and
as each flag was entirely finished it
was numbered, rolled up and ct in q
corner of the room ready to be put in
one of the cases or to be stretched OF
the ceiling of the auditorium, where
several of the flags are to remain per-
name ntly.
"The others are to be Put into
herme tically sealed cases, closed with
glass to keep out the moths. Being
draped, only one side of the flag is
presented, consequently the linen
backing does not show. There is 8
certain amount of strain on the ma.
telisl when flags are draped 10 this
fashion, and the linen used was thor
ougbly tested as to this, so, taken eli
in all, there seems to be no. reason
why these flags have not been pre-
served for all time. A number Of
flags captured are embroidered, and
in the preservation of these a large
amount of hand embroidery was acc
esssry. Part OF this was done by
Mrs. Fowler herself, assisted by her
daughter, pretty young girl still in
her teens. Miss Fowler seemed quite
as much interested in the work as was
her gifted mother.
(Continued ]