The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-12-05

ters are shown by means of square
nags. ii, is a white and red flag. colors
running horizontally with the white
nearest the halyard; j, blue, white
and blue flag; K, yellow and blue: L. q
yellow flag with blue cross and blue
band running diagonalIy from corner
to corner; M, blue flag with white
lines forming an X; N, alternate blue
and white squares, somewhat after the
design OF checkerboard; P, a white
lag with blue square in the center: O.
a yellow flag; R, red flag with yellow
cross; S, white with blue square in CEN
ter; L, red, white and blue bands, with
red nearest the mast; Y, white flag
with red X; and w, blue, with white
square in the center, in the middle of
which is another square of red. The
different combinations of these letters
make Ineligible the two thousand or
more sentences in the code.
The flags displayed by the ship on
board OF which there was a mutiny
were the letters d X R. Reference to
the above will show what flags were
hoisted. Not long ago a Danish
steamer entered this port. Some time
before she was abreast of the Hook the
operator could see that there was some
thing decidedly wrong with her. When
her signals had become plain the most
dreaded of signals was made out. The
letters N NJ were displayed. They
represented the terrible sentence: II
am on fire." AS in the case of the
other vessel the steamer was met LONG
before she reached quarantine, by the
tre-boats and the police-boat. But it
Is on the high seas that the display of
the blue and white checker-board flag
and the blue bunting with white cross
excites dread in the seaman's heart
Nearly all of the two flag signals are
ominous ones.
When two vessels meet at sea and
each is anxious to know who the other
is, the letters B N w are hoisted. This
signal is equivalent to the question:
"Where are you from?" The other
ship answers, and then up go the sig
nails B P F, Where are you boundP''
If the answer is satisfactory to the first,
in nine cases out of ten the signal
b S K, 81 have letter for you," is run
up. As soon as the letters are made
out, the vessel signaled to answers
B S M, ''Send your letters"
Boats are lowered and away thew 90.
bobbing over the pillows toward the
boat.
Signals most dreaded by the health
officers of our port are the letters u T
M, yellow fever" The flying of this
signal soon sends Health Officer Smith
down the bay on the tug Preston.
When he has reached the vessels side
the yellow ensign soon replaces the d
I M. Equally dreaded by the health
people is the combination d T @,
Smallpox" or D T R, Cholera"
Other contagious diseases are on
board when the flags d I S are dis
played. These letters, however, do
not cause any special uneasiness to the
Health Officer, as it may only be a case
Of mumps.
Shippers are stirred into activity
when they sight a sail from whose
masthead fly the letters j 7 X, "Dy-
ing from want of water" Their ener-
gies are also put forward when the |
signals j V FL, want food"-can be
made out through their glass. No
matter of what nationality, these colors
have the same import to the seaman
who reads them, the blue, whito and |
blue parallel stripes of the j, the red
K across the white flag representing
,he V. and the white and red H stand
or the same combination of letters in
5he Italian tongue as in the Russian, |
German or English.
Medical aid is often asked for by one |
ship of another. The flags F B w
the sentence Il want doctor |
'r surgeon" F B V calls for ''sur-
yeons," f B F for a nurse" and + B
& for clergyman" If the call F
B W is answered by one surgeon and
le finds that he wants aid, whether
rom his ship or from the shore, the
lags F G M indicate to the watchers
hat surgeon wants assistance"
Vessels have left this port in appar-
'ntly good condition, and when out a
ew hours, or mayhap a day at sea,
hey spring leak. If not too far
rom the Hook they usually run under
he shadow of the operators tower,
showing the signals B w, 'leak"
When they have become satisfied that
he signals have been seen, the flags
ire taken down and the letters H VB
'un out. These call for assistance"
Before the latter arrives the skipper
nay have to resort to another change
If signals. They are B K NJ, "leak
or one which gladdens the
'wners as well as the seamen aboard,
K N, "leak stopped"
The sight of dismantled hulk ris-
ng and falling on the swells is always
me that makes the ocean traveller be-
ome philosophic. Rugged from jury
mast, he may see three colored flags
lying, which to him mean nothing, but
n tho naptoir, cirpifu a 0rao+ dooI or5