Evening star., 1915-06-13

007ITHIN the first century of its
WV establishment in permanent
form the Star Spangled Ban
ner. originally small constellation of
liberty on the political armament,
bursting meteor-like from the dark
ness of tyranny and oppression on the
Atlantic coast, crossed the continent
and with its constellation tripled in
luster by the accession of new stars
for states It waves today triumph
antly historic of a great peoples prog
ress at the international exposition
celebrating the greatest engineering
feat the world has ever known. uniting
these two great oceans 1t has been
carried by intrepid explorers to the
"farthest north" and been nailed to the
north pole: into the very heart of
darkest Africa; to and through every
civilized land and the most distant
islands, and in the climes it has been
proudly unfurIed to the world, with
respect exacted for it everywhere
TT IS surprise to many, but unques-
u tionably a fact, that the American
flag may justly claim antiquity among
the national flags. 1t is older than the
1901 the flag of Spain, unfurled in
1885, the French tricolor, decreed in
1874; the existing flag of Portugal.
authorized in 1890; the flag of the en-
pire of Germany. which represents the
sovereignty of fourteen distinct flags
and states. adopted in 1870: the Italian
tricolor, determined upon in 1s4s; the
Swedish Norwegian ensign, the recent
flags of the old empire Of China and
Japan and the flags of all the South
orally modified from the Star Spangled
Banner.
THE very appropriately named ship.
u the Columbia, was the first 10
carry the Stars and Stripes around the
world. She was commanded by Capts.
John Kendrick and Robert Gray. The
Columbia was under Capt. kendrick
and accompanied by the sloOp WASH
ington. under Capt. Gray, the expedi-
tion being fitted out in Boston Septem-
ber 30, 1887. They spent the winter
in Nootka sound, where they separated,
changing captains. the Columbia pro-
ceeding under Capt Gray to Canton
carrying a collection of furs, while
Capt Kendrick OH the Washington con-
tinued his exploring expedition. Capt
Gray carried a cargo of tea from can
ton into Boston August 10. 1890, after
for the first time around the world
Though the voyage not profitable.
the Columbia was fitted out again the
next month and on this voyage Capt
Gray met Vancouver April %, 1892.
May IL Gray discovered and named
the Columbia river after his ship. He
named the southern point of land at
its entrance Cape Adams and the north
retains that name, but the latter is
now the maps as Cape Disappoint-
ment, a name given to 1t by Lieut..
Meares. an English voyager.
medal was struck Off by the own
of these events. They opened up prof
table commerce in these regions. 1t
is in a great measure owing to Gray's
now In the Union. The Spanish silver
dollar was used in these early trade
ventures and is still known in those
regions as the Boston dollar"
A BOUT the same time that the first
~ striped flag was being raised over
Washington's headquarters in Cam
bridge. Mass, January 2. 1776. John
Paul Jones, senior first lieutenant,
hoisted II with his own hands over
Commodore Hopkins flagship, the Al
fred, then lying in the Delaware at
Philadelphia. Two years later, Fcbru-
ary u, Capt. John Paul Jones had the
great satisfaction OF seeing the Stars
and Stripes recognized in the fullest