New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-11
Maritime Language,
THE NEW CODE OF COMMERCIAL SIGNALS ADOPTED
BY ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

THE NEW CODE OF COMMERCIAL SIGNALS ADOPTED
BY ENGLAND AND FRANCE.
work of the highest interest to all maritime
nations is announced for simultaneous publication
in Paris and London. 1t is a universal maritime
language, by means of which ships at sea, what
ever may be the idiom of the nation to which thew
belong, may communicate intelligence to each
other with certainty and dispatch. The necessity
OF an efficient code of naval signals has long been
felt, and numerous systems have been successively
proposed, tried and abandoned as unfit for univer-
sal USE. Among these may be especially men
toned those of haryatt and Reynold; which were
partially adopted both in England and France but
atterWard given up from being found inadequate
to the object in view, particularly on the score Of
insufficient simplicity.
A brief sketch of the present code of signals
Will not be without interest. A negotiation was
opened IN 1868 between France and England, with
view to come to an understanding on the subject,
and Earl Russell suggested the g commercial code
of signals" as best calculated to attain the pro
posed end. In February, 1864, French commis-
SION under the direction of Admiral de la Ronciere
de Noury, chief Of the staff of the minister of ma
rlne, was instructed to examine the code in cues
ton, and suggest the alterations which might rem
der it fit for adoption by all nations Three months
later the British delegates Captain Commerell,
X. NJ, and the Hon. ". F. Larkins, of the board
of trade, were sent to Paris to confer with the
commission, and, after mature consideration came
to perfect understanding with that body The
new code formed under such auspices has now ap-
peared In both French and an English edition
" The practical advantages of this work - saws
Lieutenant Salandrouze de Lamornaix, F. N, late
member and secretary of the commission, in a
pamphlet which he has published on the subject,
" VIII, therels every reason to hope, be found to
possess the theoretical qualities which the mem
bers of the commission thought it their duty to
point Quito the minister of marine in proposing
the system for his appreciation"
Ihe code flags represent the first eighteen CON
sonents of the alphabet, from to W. which, ar
ranged in groups of two three or four will repre-.
sent 1852 different combinations. More than
four letters are never employed in any one signal
Each lntmatlon is made in one hoist at one place
two flags denote urgent and important matters
three, questions relating to general topics: whilst
four flags are employed for ships, names and geo.
graphical and vocabulary signals. Separate and
distinct signs are used for indicating compass
bearings, latitude, longitude, time and numbers.
The signals which it is necessary to carry in the
mind may be committed to memory in few hours.
When once this is done, and the eighteen signal
flags are learned, the use of the code is a mere
matter Of spelling and reading. When ships are
too distant to distinguish the color6 of the flags
combinations of balls, squares and triangles can
be used to represent the eighteen letters of the
code, and lanterns may serve for the same pur-
pose by night. During fogs the signals may be
made by sounds or the 7S642 combinations.
about fifty thousand are exclusively appropriated
to represent the names Of vessels. That number
not being sufficient for all the ships aaoat deci-
sion has been come to that the whole series shall
he a+ the dsnosaI af each maritime na+ion ,,-LicL
can ao the sirnas amonr its nv,n Tnssa n
aFerwsrds nnBisb The Ist I've %assas of & Suo
ent nations possessnC the same distincva si,
naIs are easy recog6izei1 hy the bain nf +be ~
tionaI flaq at the mon. Tyerv Fn9Iisb Fropn6
and American vessel Is a,reody nrnSTaj ,ni+I
signal rom the new code@Sak ko,E1u Nth har
name. tonnage. and the nnpaT of Lar nn
gincs' if a steamer. It Is in fat indisnenso6Io
that ali this information should he amhn5Eod IN
single Indication. The remaining tganty. .fya
Thousand SIGNALS are a1enuate for ali cn,
mnnicatons TbnU renTeeant W az pv7s,9to t;
vocabulary Of sin@ie words as we'll a.
phrases, names Of nlaces nnmbars Iettaps and
sylablns so as to atITyy nroner names to ba Speit
Whatever the anrnope nav ha into Jvbio5 ~
signals are transIated in the dictionar;as Of tIo
code they viii have nreeseIy the same meonirc
The French one is divided into two narts and al
others will he on the same man In thn frsf a.
captain finds the meaning of the signnis a55sssnS
to him, whilst the other riyes him the combina.
ton of consonants which viii convey the idea ba
wishes to EXPRESS Suppose 4 canfsin IN the pa.
tn Nu1n i