Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-11-24
TROPHIES Of WAR
Captured Flags Carefully Pre-
served by Uncle Sam.
ON VIEW IN NAVAL ACADEMY

ON VIEW IN NAVAL ACADEMY,
Restored by Special Process Aftsr
Having Been In Tatters For Years.
They Arc 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 IL, 900 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 tho
earth and reflect undying glory on tho
men Of the United States navy. They
are living proofs Of the heroism and
courage Of the soldiers and sailors who
fought to maintain the flag when the
nation was struggling for independ-
ence and later when 1t was fighting to
establish firmly the foundations Of the
greatest republic Of tho world.
From 1S47 to 1901 this collection Of
dags. which should be one Of Amer.
ica's most highly priced treasures, was
kept at the Naval academy and exhfb-
tied In the old naval institute hail.
In 1901, when It was decided to tear
down this building, the flags were
packed In iron boxes and stored away.
Being in dilapidated condition when.
they were taken down to be packed.
grave fears were entertained that they
would be further damaged by moths.
During the ten years they remained
In storage repeated efforts were made
to have the government take some
steps to put them In permanent state
Of preservation, but without success.
In 1912 congress appropriated $50. 700
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 $4,000 square yards In the flags, q
the natural decay OF age as well as the
almost hopeless ravages Of moths made
any ordinary method Of preservation
seem impossible.
A special process was originated By
Mrs. Fowler, which 1s described as
spreading the tattered remnants Of
each flag upon a 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 tho
warp and wool threads in the frae-
ments Of bunting.
What remained Of the original mar
was then sewed firmly to the linen
backing by needlewomen under Mn.
Fowlers instruction and guidance.
Less than year. after the labor of
repairing was begun. on May 18. 1o1A
the days were completed and put q
exhibition 1t the Naval academy.
In the ceiling Of the academic build
ing Il one Of the most interesting of
the trophy dags. It II Z British roy9l
standard taken from the pafliam0he
house at York. now Toronto, then tho.-
capital Of upper Canada, when tAo
place was taken by the squadron under !
Commodore Isaac Chauncey and Z Land
force under General Zebulon Montgom-
cry Pike. April "a, 1918.
The squadron, with about 100 sol
diers aboard. effected q landing at Yofk
under cover of hre Of grape from th0i
ships. cleared way through the In
dams and .sharpshooters that the Eng-
lish had formed to oppose them and
storned 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 nags captured by Admiral Dewey;
at Manila bay are In this auditoriuMt
and some Of them are exquisite. Tia
one flown at the main Of the Spanisk
cruiser Don Antonio de Ulloa II Z re,,
hinder Of the plucky captain Of that
cruiser, Enrique Robiou who refused
to surrender at the battle OF Manila
bay on May I, 1885,. 30 tho Ulloa sank
with Its guns blazing defiance and all
flags flying. Boston Globe.
Imitation OaMaok.