The Grenada gazette., 1889-01-10
had been drawn of from the second

eyes. And by the time they could
give their attention to the third, it,
too, had broken up and all the crew
were lost. Yet, out OF the thirty-two
who were on the three vessels, twenty.
two had been saved by the wonderful
skill and daring of the crew.
Up to within a short time, the pay
of the men was disgracefully meager.
But now it has been increased to fifty
dollars a month for the crew, and
seven hundred dollars year for the
keeper. The men must have had thor.
ough maritime training. Out of their
salary is subtracted the cost of their
food. They must be of more than av-
erase intelligence. Their work is al
ways hard, often dangerous, and some
times fatal; and on the first of May
they are discharged for the four sum-
mer months without pay. In view of
| these facts, it can not be considered
that they are as yet sufficiently re-
wardcd.
In the daytime conversation can be
| carried on between the station and a
distant vessel. Indeed, there is hardly
an idea which can not be fully and ac-
curately expressed by means of the
eighteen signal flags adopted in the
International Code, and understood
alike by vessels of all nationalities.
These flags represent eighteen conso-
nants. For instance, B is a red burgee
Ga swallow tailed, pennant); C is a
white pennant, with n red spot; d is
plue pennant, with white spot; F
is red pennant, with a white spot,
and SO
Now two OF these flags together
mean certain phrase, which can be
found by looking in sort of diction-
ary compiled for the purpose. Thus,
If the keeper sees vessel passing,
and wants to know her name, he runs
up red burgee, and under that a blue
pennant with q white spot. Tha,
means B D. The captain OF the vessel
looks in his book for B D, and find.
that it signifies What ship is that?'
Then he knows what question to reply
TO.
But combinations of two letters
would not furnish signs enough, so
there are the combinations of three
letters, and then of four letters, giving
a possibility of seventy eight thousand
convenient combinations.
Here is an actual conversation which
took place not long ago between the
station and a vessel:
"B d: What ship is thatp''
In reply, the name was given. Every
Registered" vessel has certain COM
bination of these flags to represent its
name.
"B N W: Where from"
"B N j Q: BATAVIA"
"B P R: What sort Of passage have
you had?"
90 NJ F: Satisfactory" Then "P
T: We want pilot. Can one be OBJ
talned?"
ID: No."
IN B n: Where can I get a p:lot??"
IN D +: Steer G NJ: northwest for
the keeper knows that pilot-boat is
lying off in that direction.
If the desired phrase can not be
found, use may be made of the Alpha
betical Spelling List, in which certain
Of signs represent sylla-
blcs which can be joined together to
form the desired words. BY the use
of this code wrecks may often be
avoided, by directions given to vessels
from the shore.
The property saved by the service,
during the first ten years of its exist
,nce under the present system and
amounted to nearly iif-
,een million dollars, to say nothing of |
he thousands of lives which were
'avcd. This sum very far exceeds the
otal cost of tho Service for the same
,eriod - Charles Stewart, in Touth's