New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-04
flag TALK Ar SEA.
WHAT THE BITS or BUNTING MEAN WHICH
DECORATED THE RIVER FRONT on

! WHAT THE BITS or BUNTING MEAN WHICH
DECORATED THE RIVER FRONT on
WAsIIlNGTON's BIRTHDAY.
People who crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on Wash
ngtons Birthday saw down On the river front
number OF trim American ships and smaller vesse's
with a rainbow Of flags lUttorng in the wind Inc
bunting was crss-crossed and checkered. corner
ways upand down and lengthwse by bands OF color
and some Of the long, pointed flags or pennants.
were OF a solid color with ball Of different
color near the widest part. They made pretty
picture. but while the general public has an idea
that they used for signalling. the number OF
people who know and understand dag talk Is com
| paratively small Ever since there was what is
known a. a mercantile marine flags in some manner
have. been used IS A means of communication at
sea but until 1S5 there 4 lack ~ system which
caused so much bother that IN that year the British
Board Of Trade appointef committee 10 inquire
into the subject. This committee ob'yed It's instruc-
tons and In 1886 reported. accompanying its report
by "A signal code which approved by tho British
Government, and has since been officially adopted
for national as well as merchant vessels by the
Governments OF England. France. Germany Russia
Brazil Austria. Italy. Holland Sweden and Norway
| Denmark Belgium. Spain and Portugal Ii Is known
as the international code OF Signals and. while 1t
has not been formally adopted 10y the United States
Government, Il Is In general use by Government yes
sells as well as the merchantmen flying the Stars
and Stripes
| The code is comprised in eighteen flags and an an
swering. or "code signal" pennant. The eighteen
| represent consonants. no vowes being used ana IN
| clude a red burgee swallOw-tail which stands
| for r. C Is represented by a white pennant with
red ball. d by a blue pennant with white ball +
| by a red remnant with white ball and G by yellow
and blue pennant. Then the square flags. be-
| ginning with II. which is half white and half red
j. white blue and white stripes X. yellow and blue;
l.. divided into quarters Of yellow and blue; NJ blue
| crossed by white diagonal stripes y. sixteen
| square checker board of blue and white; T. blue
| With a square white centre: Q. solid yellow; r. red
| with yellow diagonal stripes; s. white with blue
centre: T. red, white and blue vertical stripes v.
white with red diagonal stripes: W, blue with an
| obiong white centre, In which is a second obong
| of red.
The reading Of the signals is determined by the
number and arrangement OF the faGs. ana the sys-
TEN is divided into five parts. of which one and five
| are most frequently used. part one including what
are called "hoists' OF two or three flags used for
| ordinary communications and geographical and
numerical signals. while part is taken up en-
tirey by HOSTS Of four flags. nearly all OF when
| represent the names of vessels
| Signals of two flags. with the burGee uppermost
are attention signals: with pennant uppermost
compass signals. and with square flag uppermost
danger or distress signals. Signals OF three naSs
relate to general subjects Of communication nciud-
ing time latitude and longitude. while four-haS
/ HOSTS with the DuFR'P uVpelHloSt' arc S0Obi"P"'
cal: with the pennants G. ID or uppermoSt, spell
ing or vocabulary; with the pennant q on top. men
of-war, and with square flag uppermost. names OF
vessels signals Each combination has its eNplana-
ton In a cookbook which the captain has. ana IN
order 10 show what nationality the signalling veg
sci H. the first hoist" is the national ensign ana
the red and white vertical striped code pennant
The four masted American ship Roanoke sailed
from this port last week for Shanghai loaded Win
Kerosene oil In cases As she IL not far from pot'
her captain has presumably got his Longitude cor
rertlv. in other words. he knows where ne Is ~.
An inwa ri bound ship sights the statcy iunher'
and the captain Of the stranger without an
on-fOr ell brothers at sca-runs up ms
nag and the code pennant Up TO the Roahoke gan
60 III" Stars and stripes. with the sah,e pa ~
| Underneath The bows have been MADE anu uc
Stranger acknowledges that he has lost nIS ichon-
ing and asks FOR aid by hosting the anu VI pen
nAnts and the square flag II. The ho'iohJ,S ip
per Is too 'nag-wisc' to need 10 ooh III ~, o,n,
your ongtudc?' and then comes tn iapoi y, ~,
Of hosting three flags for each mGut ,he s,r,yper
give desired information 1nSh nv - 80.
With his flags thanks the Yankee skpISr any ois,s
the question. What ship II that. sfinner l,oks in
M 10 the gaff ana the stranger skppen IoosS III
hls co,lebooks ana finds that he Is taIhlng 10 one
~ the famous ..Br -Four The Shenandoah would
have answered win X ; T. tho Sus1uehaahna
v,ith h ! i II while the Appointments naSS
were burned at sea. Had snip v 81 $3.50 20 ,ynmln
the RappahannOck took IRE tls wn ~ and hoisted r.
have turned his ensign upside down ann nois.eo y,
Jtr ,ba cd rnnnsnt IN ierneath. Then would
SaVe come NJ \ the blue and white CHECKER boaIu
III tho hlua with white dasolal stripes sgtiiylhs
~ am on fire As quick as tne VIM eo1 -. 1,h
her the other ship would have eof'e c''e w. WIZ"