The crew left and succeeded in clearing the vessel before she went down. But two are reported to have been wounded, and these but slightly. All were captured and taken to Morro Castle. The great bravery of the gallant fellows was recognized by Admiral Cervera and he sent a boat with a flag of truce to advise Admiral Sampson that the men were safe and would be exchanged. This act of the Spanish admiral has won for him a feeling of great admiration in this country. It was the act of a noble man. The Spanish fleet is not only bottled up now, but the cork is in the bottle. * * * * * THE FLAG. Many questions have reached us from subscribers and friends concerning the meaning and reason for the stars and stripes on the United States flag, and how the United States came to choose the colors and design of the flag. Early in Revolutionary times, each colony had its own flag, and they were very varied in design, and some had strange designs. The colony of Massachusetts had a pine-tree on its flag. South Carolina had a rattlesnake on a yellow flag, and underneath the snake the motto: "Don't tread on me." New York had a white flag with a beaver on it; and Rhode Island a white flag with a blue anchor. Many variations of the "stars and stripes" are found in the flags used during the first years of the Revolution. Some have red and white stripes, with the field (where the stars are in the flag we all know) like the field of the British flag--red, white, and blue lines crossing one another. This design in the corner of a flag is called its "jack," and is often used alone. In 1777, Congress declared that the flag should have thirteen horizontal stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field, each representing one of the thirteen States. The idea of the adoption of the grouping of stars and stripes was doubtless taken from the arms of the Washington family, which consisted of a white shield with two horizontal red bars, and above these three red stars. It was the original intention to add a stripe and a star for each state admitted to the Union, and the grouping of the equal stripes was supposed to represent the unity of the Federation. In 1792 the stars and the stripes were both increased to fifteen on account of the admission to the Union of the States of Vermont and Kentucky, and, after this, others were added. In 1818, Congress decided to return to the original thirteen stripes, and to add a star for each new State, which plan has been followed since. The three colors, red, white, and blue, symbolize valor, purity, and truth. The United States has but one national flag, which is flown alike on buildings, men-of-war, and merchant vessels, and to us Americans its purity and beauty appeal strongly.