Fort Mchenry

Forty-seven years had passed since the last star had been added to the American flag, before two new designs were flown for the first time over Fort McHenry within months in 1959. Arizona became the 48th star in 1912, and the new flags adding Alaska and Hawaii each made their debut in Baltimore — both on the Fourth of July. An executive order signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Jan. 3, 1959, after the admittance of Alaska to the Union, reconfigured the stars on the old 48-star flag to seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.

The U.S. Postal Service will offer a pictorial postmark commemorating Flag Day on June 14 and the 22nd anniversary of the Annual National Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance at 6 p.m. that day at Fort McHenry. The free postmark can be imprinted on any envelope bearing first-class postage at the event or acquired through mail order: Flag Day Station Manager, Main Office Window Services, U.S. Postal Service, 900 E. Fayette St., Baltimore 21233-9715. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return.

U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt looked o'er the ramparts and the banner yet waving at Fort McHenry yesterday and suggested that the twilight's last gleaming soon could descend on the birthplace of the national anthem.But a Republican elsewhere said nonsense, Mr. Babbitt's little bomb was bursting with hot air.Against the South Baltimore backdrop of the place that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the "The Star-Spangled Banner," Mr. Babbitt asked a group of Locust Point residents to fight a congressional bill that he said could close national parks and historic sites.

The algae blooms fouling Baltimore area waters apparently have claimed more victims, as more dead fish have been spotted floating in the Inner Harbor and washing ashore at Fort McHenry just south of downtown. Investigators with the Maryland Department of the Environment , who saw upwards of 100,00 dead fish in creeks south of the city Wednesday and hundreds more in Dundalk, confirmed the Inner Harbor die-off today. MDE spokesman Jay Apperson said the harbor's mahogany colored water fit the same recipe for a fish kill.  He offered no estimate of how many dead fish there were, noting that the city's trash-skimming boats were scooping them up, "but as soon as they go by, there's more.

Fort McHenry's old walls may not be crumbling, but they are in need of repairs since the last restoration in 1939 when the site was designated a national monument.This morning, Maryland's congressional delegation will announce a $1.3 million appropriation to complete the next phase of a major restoration begun in the early 1990s."From 1939 until 1991, it has been done on a catch-as-catch-can basis," said Kathryn Cook, the fort's superintendent.Fort McHenry -- 200 years old this year -- was maintained most of its life by the Army, which as Cook pointed out, "had a repair service living there on site."

As the crowd gathered for the rally yesterday at Fort McHenry, Ronald Jones and his wife, Suzanne, planted their small sign into the lawn."Never again can we allow our troops to be denigrated," it said.In a nutshell, that was the theme of the two-hour, flag-waving rally, hosted by the American Freedom Coalition of Maryland. Mindful of the antipathy many Americans felt toward the military as the war in Vietnam soured, yesterday's crowd was intent on making sure history won't repeat itself as the United States prosecutes the Persian Gulf war."

A chain-reaction accident injured one person and caused a truck to catch fire inside one of the southbound Fort McHenry tunnels during yesterday evening's rush hour. The accident caused a 1 1/2 -mile backup southbound and delayed motorists for nearly 40 minutes, according to Maryland Transportation Authority Police. The identity and condition of the injured person was not available. Lori Vidil, transportation authority spokeswoman, said a Toyota Corolla became disabled less than a half-mile into the 1.8-mile-long tunnel about 6:45 p.m. and was struck from behind by a stake-body truck, which was hit by a Honda Civic.

NATIONAL PARK Service Ranger Vince Vaise brought a 30-by-42-foot flag to the Linthicum branch library last week, a replica of the one flown over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. With the help of approximately 80 people, the huge banner was unfurled as part of the Summer Reading Program's "Star-Spangled Storytime." "Everyone held on to the edges of the flag, and when it was completely unfurled, it covered the entire lawn at the library's main entrance," said Adam Mazurek, the branch manager.

Besides being known as the birthplace of the national anthem, Baltimore's Fort McHenry is considered one of the finest examples of fort design in North America. In 1939, it was designated a national monument and historic shrine -- the only fort in the country to have that double distinction. Now it appears the fort finally may get a visitor center worthy of the historic site it promotes. Drawings unveiled last week by the architect GWWO Inc. of Baltimore indicate that the $14 million visitor center will be a vast improvement over the nondescript brick box that has served as front door to the fort since the 1960s.

Gartner "Lou" Miller, a four-decade Fort McHenry volunteer and unofficial ambassador for local tourism, died Tuesday of a respiratory ailment at Howard County General Hospital. He was 71 and lived in the Lansdowne section of Baltimore County. Described as one of the fort's quintessential characters, Mr. Miller logged long hours there, routinely offering suggestions to travelers where to get a good, inexpensive meal. He told tourists of Eastern Shore restaurants he liked and spots not to be missed in Baltimore's old neighborhoods.