The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-10-11
TROPHIES OF WAR
Captured Flags Carefully Pre-.
served by Uncle Sam.
ON VIEW IN NAVAL ACADEMY
Restored by Special Process After
Having Been In Tatters For Years,
They Are a Living Proof Of the Hero.
ism Of Our Soldiers and Sailors.

In the auditorium of the academic
building at the United States Naval
academy at Annapolis are $1,000 square
yards of flags, most of them trophy
flags.
The capture Of these tattered ban
ners helped TO make the stars and
stripes respected by the nations of the
earth and reflect undying glory on the
men of the United States navy. They
are living proofs Of the hcroism and
courage of the soldiers and sailors who
fought to maintain the flag when the
nation was struggling for indepcnd-
ance and later when it was fighting to
establish firmly the foundations of the
greatest republic of the world.
From 1917 to 1901 this collection of
dacs. which should be one of Amer
ica's most highly priced treasures, was
kept mt the Naval academy and exhib.
tied in the old naval institute hall.
In 1901. when 1t was decided 10 tear
down this building. the flags were
packed in iron boxes and stored away.
Being in a dilapidated condition when
they were taken down to be packed.
grave fears Were entertained that they
would he further damaged by moths.
During the ten years they remained
in storage repeated efforts We're made
10 have the government take some
steps to put them in permanent state
or preservation. but without success.
In 1912 congress appropriated $4,000
for the work of preservation.
About three months later Mrs. Amelia
FOWLER, an expert on flag preservation.
obtained the services of forty needle
women. who began the arduous task
of sewing over by hand every inch Of
the 5000 square yards in the flags. as
the natural decay of age as well as the
almost hopeless ravages of moths made
any ordinary method of preservation
seem impossible
\ special process was originated by
Mrs. Fowler, which is described as
spreading the tattered remnants of
each flag upon backing of heavy
Irish linen of neutral color"
The delicate work was guided by the
original measurement of the flag. by
knowledge of its design and by plac-
ing in vertical and horizontal line the
warp and wool threads In the frag-
ments of bunting.
What remained of the original flag
was then sewed firmly to the linen
backing by necdlewomen under Mrs.
Fowlcr's instruction and guidance.
Less than year after the labor Of
repairing was begun, on May 1G 1913,
the flags were completed and put on
exhibition at the Naval academy.
In the ceiling of the academic build
Ing Is one of the most interesting of
the trophy flags. 1t is a British royal
standard taken from the parliament
house at York. now Toronto. then the
capital of upper Canada. when the
place was taken by the squadron under
Commodore Isaac Chauncey and land
force under General Zebulon Montgom-
cry Pike, April %, 1913.
The squadron, with about LOO sol
diers aboard, effected landing at York
under cover of a fire of grape from the
ships, cleared way through the In
dians and sharpshooters that the Eng
fish had formed to oppose them and
stormed the batteries. The capture Of
York resulted in the acquisition Of the
royal standard. the only British royal
standard captured and held by any
nation.
The flags captured by Admiral Dewey
at Manila bay are In this auditorium,
and some OF them are exquisite. The
one flown at the main of the Spanish
cruiser Don Antonio de UllOa is re
hinder OF the plucky captain of that
cruiser, Enrique Robiou. who refused
10 surrender at the battle of Manila
bay on May I. 1898 so the Ulloa sank
with its guns blazing defiance and all
flags flying Boston Globe.