The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-05-10
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 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 $4,000 square
yards of flags. mCst 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 heroism and
courage Of the soldiers and sailors who
fought to maintain the flag when the
nation was struggling for independ-
cnce and later when it was fighting to
establish firmly the foundations of the
greatest republic of the world
From 1847 to 1901 this collection OF
tags. which should be one Of Amer
;ca's most highly priced treasures. was
kept at the Naval academy and exhib
tied In the old naval institute hall.
In 1901, when 1t was decided to tear
down this building, the flags were
packed in iron boxes and stored away
Being In o 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 a permanent state
Of 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 $1,000 square yards In the flags, as
the natural decay of age as we'll as the
almost hopeless ravages of moths made
any ordinary method Of preservation
seem impossible
A special process was originated by
Mrs. Fowler. which Is described as
"spreadin. the tattered remnants oi
each flag upon backing Of heavy
| Irish linen Of neutral color
| The delicate work was guided by the
| original measurement Of the flag. By
q knowledge of its design and by plac
ing in vertical and horizontal line the
warp and woof thresds in the frag
ments Of bunting.
What remained OF the original fae
was then sewed firmly to the liner
/ backing by needlewomen nnder Mrs
Fowlers instruction and guidance.
Less than year after the labor OF
repairing was begun, On May lG, 1913
the flags were completed and put OF
exhibition at the Naval academy.
In the ceiling Of the academic build
ing Is one OF the most interesting o
the trophy flags. 1t il British roya
standard taken from the parliamen
house ut York, now Toronto. then th
capital Of upper Canada. when tn
place was taken by the squadron unde
Commodore Isaac Chauncey and a Ian,
force under General Zebulon Montgom
cry Pike, April q, 1918.
4 The squadron. with about loo sol
diers aboard. effected landing at Yorl
under cover of a fire of grape from tn
ships, cleared way through the III
dians and sharpshooters that the Eng
lish had formed to oppose them an
stormed the batteries. The capture o
York resulted in the acquisition Of th
royal standard, the only British roya
standard captured and held by an
nation.
The flags captured by Admiral Dewe
at Manila bay are In this auditorium
and some of them are exquisite. Th
one flown at the main of the SPANS
cruiser Don Antonio de Ulloa Is a n
minder of the plucky captain Of tha
cruiser. Enrique Robiou. who refuse
to surrender at the battle of Alanil
bay on May l. 1905. SO the Ulloa san
; with its guns blazing defiance and a
flags flying.-Boston Globe.