The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-08
FLAGS AND FLAG SIGNALS.
An ola Maker Discourses on Army
and Naval Telegraphing.
From The NeIc York Herald.
-.l,;,,r, about fapS eh -

man of fully (U years, ne lookeu SJlll olueT'
tIs hair was still abundant and white as
.ha driven snow and beard swept his breast
md almost hid his face from view. Bushy
throws shaded dark, piercing blue eyes
=, 4 a high forehead met the hair that was
aalr, AN carefully back. He was fully six
s.ot tall and straight as an arrow, with a
Commanding air that made him seem out of
,,iece in the little shop. -Four men were
rTorking at long tables and half dozen
swing machines were being operated by as
many sewing girls,
;oc the way to small Office fully as dingy
Mace as the shop and opening from it. Il
Sare been in this business for over fifty
Ioars and before me my father had it, ;" said
Ho a1plnaker. II have been a close stu
Sont and history, and especially matters
nertaining to this great republic of ours,
he's been my delight. | can give you some
facts concerning flag signals and flag tele-
graphing. l am pretty well posted and l
never EVER remember hearing this subject dis
c1ssed in the newspapers"
YES, | would like that, " replied the in
teryiewer.
THE FIRST AMERICAN FLAG.
The old man smiled, displaying a wonder
fuIly well preserved set of teeth. well,
before begin, let me ask if you ever heard
Sow the first American flag came to be
american citizen. Well, sir, long before
tho revolutionary war Gen. Washington
was in the habit of employing a Mrs John
Ross of Philadelphia. to embroider his
dirt RIFLES and to execute other fine needle
work. In June, l776, the General, accom-
nanied by a committee of Congressman,
called upon Mrs. Ross, who carried on the
unholstery business in Arch street and re-
0uested her to make flag. There was
rough design in the possession of the COM
mitfee but Cen Washington drew better
one in the little back parlor. The stars
were six pointed on the original draft but
at tbe suggestion of Mrs. Ross they were
changed to five You will notice on all
coins of the United States. that the stars
are six pointed. This is because the de
sirner Of our coins followed the English and
Mrs Ross the European custom. The her.
aldry of England recognizes a star of six
ponts, while Holland, France and Germany
allow but five. So much for the flag OF our
country.
THE flag acquired its present form in the
sixth century, in Spain. 1t was previously
small and square. 1t is said TO have been
introduced there by the Saracens, before
whose time the ensigns of war were extend
4 ed on crossed pieces of wood.
THE LONG REMNANT.
1.-THE origin of the long pennant carried
4 all men-of-war was as follows: When Van
Tromp the Dutch Admiral, hOisted broom
at his masthead to indicate his intention to
sweep the English from the sea the English
Admiral hoisted horsewhip, indicating his
intention to chastise the insolent Dutchman.
Ever since that time the narrow or coach
4 whip pennant has been the distinctive mark
4 Of vessel of war adopted by all nations.
THE original and first use of marine sig
nails cannot be clearly determined. 1t is
. well known that a system of cOmmunica
ton existed in the early Greek and Persian
fleets by means of the sails. The use of
shields in certain positions and flaming fires
we're made use of.
in naval signaling instances have been
Il Known of barrel ho.sted at the yardarm
& as signal for water, tablecloth displayed
8 aoft as an invitation to dine, etc. To the
n Duke of York, afterward King James Ii.
+ Of England belongs the honor of first in
4 PRODUCING, in 1865, signal code upon reg
uar system. The papal code of l6I4 pre-
sTbed that pennant hoisted on the poop
make SAIL and that it should be dipped
once for each sail to be set. In ancient
writings no record of a code is found. Night
signals were invented about the same period
as day codes. In 1920 Captain General
Pierro Monzeniego, a Venetian, invented a
system of flags, with distinction to colOrs,
giving to each galley of the fleet a pennant
and flag. He also established that fire on
the poop shall signify set mainsail,' two
fires loose square sail, three fires all plain
SAIL four fires lay in the oars and make all
sail Fleet signals were not generally adopt
ed, however, before the middle of the 18th
century.
CODE OF SIGNALS.
"In ISL Mr.. Macarthur, who had been
secretary to Admiral Lord Howe, originated
q code Of thirteen flags. Each flag was
known by a letter and number, and the
code was used by Nelson at Trafalgar when
he hoisted the famous motto, England ex-
poets every man to do his duty By the
middle Of the 18th century the system Of
nag talking bad made such str>Ss5 that by
The aid of combinations formed from thirty
partl-colored flags messages could be inter
lTeted with ease.
I'm 1895 the United States navy used n
code similar to the devices invented by King
James. There were twenty-six flags, one
or each letter, and a number Of pennants
Or special signals. In 1916 the Navy De
Srument adopted the method known as
fogerS American Code. The interna-
pual code, devised by the British govern
ent, mas been almost universally adopted,
ith the exception of the United States. A
uhher In the United States navy by the
anne OF Coston perfected night system of
bags. -
THE FIRST SIGNAL CORPS.
foyblus, the Grecian general and
nolar, stands as the inventor of the first
silai corps of the army This was about
~ years before Christ, and the system in
ine form or another has been constantly
use throughout all the wars known to
ne cavalry has been styled the eyes and
Vi an army, so the signal corps might
appropriately be termed the eyes, ears
pH tongue. The corps during the late re-
"a dion won for itself well deserved praise
.T credit for its services.
lne system of army telegraphing and
s H1alllg could scarcely be intelligibly de-
.o S IN paper of this character and
I'm Ieatures only will be referred to.
Tue Iue means and methods by which mes
81 can be transmitted with the aid of a
vogncerted code is almost hmitless.
n mus lights, flashes, smoke, flags, in
H. oJects of any description can be
~ ohe plains Indians build fires in holes
9Yohlne the dense smoke therein by
to aI1ilg blanket, which they remove at
~ intervals to allow the puffs of smoke
'ockets, candles, matches, candle bombs
oIner contrivances of the kind have
I'M G,cessfully used to convey meaning
r rue Monograph, or sun telegraph, Is an
BBudiient successfully used for army sig