The herald., 1894-11-09
SIGNALING AT SEA.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BE-
TWEEN SHIPS OF ALL NATIONS.

Origin of Marine Signals Buried In OBJ
scurity-Lord Howe's Code of 10000
Combinations With Four Flags-Farra-
CUTS Plain Square Blue Flag.
The use of signals between ships at
sea must have originated with the for
nation of. squadrons and fleets of boats
or vessels sailing in company, and
doubtless the first devices made use of
were exceedingly crude, developing
gradually with the lapse Of time and
evolution of naval architecture. The
origin of marine signals is buried in OBJ
scurity, although it is stated that the
ancients made use of columns and puts
of smoke to convey their ideas 1t is
we'll authenticated that the Greek and
Persian fleets exchanged messages by
means of their sails, certain meanings
being conveyed to the loosing or partly
furled state of the material. Groups OF
men at arms, with shields and pennants
affixed to lances, had certain signih-
cance Flag signals had an existence in
the thirteenth century, and the fact is
mentioned in the Laws of Oberon,"
which provide that q vessel desiring to
tow or receive q pilot shall hoist her en-
sign.
The earliest authentic notice of reg
ular signal code used by the British
navy is found III the fighting instruo-
tions for the English fleet fitted out
under Queen Elizabeth in the expedi-
tion against Cadiz. The plain, red en-
sign of England appears to have been
one of the earliest symbols made use Of
in maritime history for the double pur-
pose of denoting the presence of the
chief and directing the conduct of his
fleet, for we read that it was hoisted
to the right or left as the admiral wish
ed the vessels to engage in either direo-
tion.
The flags of the British navy were at
one time severally on a red, white or
blue field and were displayed from the
top of the royal pole of the main, fore
or mizzen mast, according to the rank
of the admiral This diversity of color
has long been done away with. The
white field with the red st. George
cross and the sinister upper corner oc-
cupied by the union, is now alone used
in the British navy, the blue being as
signed to the reserve and the red to the
mercantile navy.
An admiral displays his flag exclu-
sively at the main truck, vice admiral
at the fore, rear admiral at the mizzen.
The first flag of Importance is the
royal standard of Great Britain and Ire
land, hoisted only when the king or
queen is on board. The second is the
anchor of hope, for the lord high adj
miral or the lord commissioners of the
admiralty. This is emblazoned with an
anchor argent, gorged in the arm with
q coronet and cable through the ring
and fretted in a true lovers knot with
the ends pendent. Thus it was carried
by the Earl of Southampton in the
reign of King Henry VIII. The last
time it was displayed af1oat was on tho
occasion of Sir George Rookie command
ing the combined fleet Of England and
Holland in 1908.
When o council of war is held at sea,
if it be on board the admiral's ship, a
flag is hung in the main shrouds; if the
vice admirals, on the fore shrouds, and
if the rear admiral's ON the mizzen
shrouds.
Until 1862 there were no officers in
the United States navy of higher rank
than captain, except in 1859, when
Charles Stewart was commissioned
"senior flag officer On July 16, 1862,
David F. Farragut was made a rear ad-
miral, and the act provided for "the
three senior rear admirals to wear a
square blue flag at the mainmast head,
the next three at the foremast head and
all others at the mizzen. 1t was with
his plain, blue square flag at the main
mast head of tho Hartford that Farragut
passed the forts on the Mississippi and
captured New Orleans. Farragut re-
ceived his commission Aug. IL, 1862,
and the next morning on the hosting of
the colors his flag was run up for the
first time at the main, when it was sa-
luted by the whole squadron. This was
the first salute ever received by Farra-
quits flag. Subsequently Farragut car
ried his flag at the mizzen, as vice adj
miral it flew at the fore, and on July
26, 1866, as full admiral, it foated
over the main.
When the president of the United
States visits man-of-war the Amer
ican ensign is hoisted at the main and
remains until the distinguished guest
takes his departure. The president also
has a standard, consisting of the coat of
arms Of the United States ON blue
field, and it was first displayed at the
main by President Arthur on the presi-
Dental yacht Dispatch. The standard
was adopted in 1882.
The secretary of the navy has a dis
tinctive flag of blue, with white foul
anchor and four white stars. On July
4, $780, five great American flags were
displayed on the center of the dome of
the national capitol, from the tholus
and under the feet Of the statue of Lib
erty. In 1881 Mr.. Macarthur who had
been secretary to Admiral Lord Hood,
devised code of signals which was in
troduced into the British navy as Lord
Howes code III 1899. Four colors were
used-red, blue, yellow and white
there being but two colors to each flag,
and the code provided for 20, 600 signals.
The international code of signals was
devised by the British government in
1856. The code is made up of one bur.
gee, or swallowtailed flag, 13 square
flags and five pennants. The signal book
is divided into different topical head
ings, by which the signals may be