Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-06-02


fgs9<SSS gress.
An act was passed in 1914
which granted the use of the
Fort McHenry Military reservation to the city Of
Baltimore for park purposes. The new bill
amends the 1914 act so as to read in part:
THE secretary of war is hereby authorized and
directed so soon as it may no longer be needed
for uses and needs growing out of the recent war,
to begin the restoration of Fort McEenry, in the
state of Maryland, now occupied and used as
military reservation, including the restoration of
the old Fort McHery proper to the condition in
which it was on the list of September, 1914, and
to place the whole of said military reservation in
such a condition as would make it suitable for
preservation permanently as a national park and
perpetual national memorial shrine as the BIRTH
place of the immortal 'Star-Spangled Banner
written by Francis Scott Key; and that the sec
rotary of war be, and he is hereby further author
lied and directed, as are his successors, to hold
the said Fort McHenry in perpetuity as mill
tary reservation, national park and memorial, and
TO maintain it as such the said reserVa-
ton to be maintained as a national public park,
subject to such regulations as may from time to
time be issued by the secretary of Provided,
That the citizens Of Baltimore city and of the
state of Maryland shall be given as free and full
access to and use of said national park they
would enjoy if this were part of the park system
of Baltimore city"
Provision is made for restoration and improve
ments under approval of the secretary of war and
at the expense of the United States. The sum Of
100000 is appropriated for the work and $4,000
annually for maintenance.
Nothing is said in the bill about a museum of
appropriate relics. Nevertheless, If Fort MeHenry
is to be restored and preserved as perpetual
national memorial shrine as the birthplace of the
immortal "Star-Spanged Banner" it would seem
that the Flag which inspired the national hymn
should be feature Of the shrine.
For the original Star-Spangled Banner-the ac-
tual piece of red white and blue bunting that Key
was 50 anxious to see 'by the dawns early light"
is still in existence 1t is probably the most inter-
esting bit of bunting in the world to good Ameri-
cans. 1t is in the National museum in Washing
ton and thousands go to see it every year.
This sacred relic is now more than one hundred
years old and looks its age It has, however been
mounted net and has been carefully mended.
With good care it should last a long time
AS every good American knows-or should
knOw-the Flag now consists of thirteen alternate
red and white stripes, representing the thirteen
original states, and blue field which are
forty-eight white stars, arra1 ged in six rows Of
eight stars each, representing the forty-eight
states now constituting the Union. The forty
seventh and forty-eghth stars were added in 1912
when New Mexico and Arizona were admitted
The original Flag was adopted by congress June
IA, 1777-that's why June Il is observed as Flag
Day. It had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars.
1t was the plan in the early days to add both a
star and stripe to the Flag for each new state.
But 1t was soon seen-by 1912 there were five new
states-that while a star could easily be added,
additional stripes were out of the question The
addition in 1894 of two stripes for Vermont (1791)
and Kentucky (1792) destroyed the proportions
of the Flag So there were never more than ff-
teen stripes and the fifteen were officially reduced
to the original thirteen in 1918.
It's Of interest to note that the Fort McHenry
Flag has but fifteen stars, though in 1914 there
were eighteen states, Tennessee (1796), Ohio
(1S02) and Louisiana (1812) having been admit
ted. But fifteen it has-in six alternate rows of
three and two stars, beginning at the edge of the
field next the staff. The explanation is that no
official change was made in the Flag between 1894
and 1918 The Flag in 1918 was given twenty
stars, Indiana and Mississippi having been admit
ted and thirteen stripes.
Did you know that by correct usage the Flag
in time of peace is not permitted to float all night
except at the grave of Francis Scott Key?
Senator France, in introducing the Fort Nc
Henry bill, put into the Congressional Record the
contents of a booklet prepared by himself and
other patriotic citizens. This booklet contains
among other things the following interesting
matter:
The LIST of September 1914, saw the city of
Washington burned, the handful of American war
ships driven to port by force of superior numbers
the Atlantic coast from Maine to Louisiana open
to attack and the fate of the Union in the balance
It was then that Fort McHenry stood firm against
the invader redeemed our eastern seaboard and
delivered the federal government from serious
disaster utter ruin.
In the two and half years of war preceding
the defense of Fort AIcHenry scores of the fastest