The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-21
HOW THE SHIPS TALK.
TIE VARIED LANGUAGE or SIG
NALS JSKD At SEA.
Lights. Tlass. whistles aud Horns-ihe
system That Ia Dovised for the frotee-
ton Of Mariner


tion Of Mariner
"
t
Nnch inc war 4piN'' q" ''''
war advance to'mcct am enemy tncir
many dfQorcnt columns and dcta hmcnts
... ...t....t... ,.tfb ono
Keep "f '"''''''. '''''''''''
another by mcars OF oo"'ie's'
esrs. and more quickly. when necessary,
., .,.. ..i......l.. f,,t whom the
~ ..,....,.a
'''i' "-' ,,,
or retreat and nanocutre 90 gain adFan-
taec ever AN enemy in tinie oil war %,
Tor drill boz time OF peace. thty nave ''o.
tlc ald OF thc telegraph Cd fenA oIi'''
and commands from ship 90 s"i.
means must be employed. ana nans az"
vices OF -ienains by iny anA h'-"s
De used iO preserve lN' N'''
wrnicaton constantly n'''7"l
tween fnc dintrcnf tHIis OF
OF an these methoNa OF i,... ,,,,
the commoucst is thc nag A'"i''.
ployta for short distances ny nAy a'l' @''''
orally known CAS- the wig-waF system
TO Tie landsmcn VINO we" 'i 1890. ,.'"
of war vessels Do is "o' '.' ~. ,t,-'
si.l- ,ro,..r., "a fa. ba.k and
Z d., 49,, .,,.,,.~,rfiy ai.nless way. But
4, d. ,,,t roalit an ainlees way. for each
...t., ~ an, n.r fo the right 20 the
10 49, a.. FRONT has les meaning. ana
rl. many combinations OF these motions
.enr.ss fbo letters of Che alphabet and
,fe sinrIc numerals so that amy mca-
s.as map ho sent Boo mis- Way from one
vessel ID another when the code is known
and If tho code hc common 90 army and
r.a.. . flriI auI efficient cOmmuuica-
ti,n n,a. Doc kcnf I'D between "a sea force
p,ar tc shore aud "a land force ON or
moan fh. p0asf. which may be- quite nccca-
.,., d. their action in concerted attacks
nr movements.
Last summer ON the Connecticut coast
three vessels of our new navy drilled thc
naval reserves of Sew York for o. few
data. AVID. tO test The efficiency OF signal
Irr .rnr. stations were tak'n ly squads
..... fn. National Guard and the regular
r, tt th. ,.i,bhori,ooI and
- .....,o,s Mon. SOM ovor the line
,,,. miles from SHIN to shore and
f.,,,, ono shore station 10 anothcr-some
49,, tl,,..- -.rt d.. hv f.leeranh TO
,.....,.,. ,l. .,.,...,t,i,, tho limo 10 v0ulI
80. ~. ,,,ttf,. 49,. .,thorittas at the capi-
.f -, 49,. ,,oe.iil. .nnrairh of "A hos
T, d., T., H., ..,.te,i, entrance 10 Long
,.,4 ..,',,.1
hi NDNH'NN
But even this method is TOO s.o" loi
the rapid transmission Of the commands
for evolutious of ships. so more el-
ncicnt means has been adopted. ZEN
large flags OF different coiors represent
The tCu lower numerals and several DINERS
are used to represent calls, answering
pounanf- and for rcpcuuous OF the mum
erals. For use in siInaliue a large DOCK
has been prepared with many WORDS ana
sentences of common use in navigation,
ALPHABETICALLY arranged. set opposite a
number for each one. $50 that If amy ship
desires TO send amy common snort mes
sage Co Doe found in The signal BOOK IL Is
only necessary TO attach the numeIal
flags 90 q ballard boa the prop'r 'ioei lot
the required -isiai ana I''' J., "p , w.
h i.lh. a"' aura WV" .,,,..,,,.--
''a .ta t,. ,..ls-s.. ie sent i'm
i .i,,,e man IL takes TO ton it,
For convenience sake every ship in the
rnv. has her number BOO the code and each
hl, tn "a SQUADRON has ucnnat of her
own used by any other ship as dis
tinc,iisbine remnant for that one ship.
Vith theeo Two codes AN the ovolutions
of e,a drills. battle exercises ana daily
roufiur may Doe carried on The officers
of nne ship may send message to those
A another as easily MS We of inc lanl
n phone Co a. friend n another part "i
q citv
For many years the signal numbers TO
designate the many Inherent coinmahna
th,t might hc used during an engagement
,.ifn an enemy were as carefully guarded
as state secrets and uo one hut tho trust
IN oa,.ers of thc ship were allowed TO
see Them Tho book was Kept always uN-
der lock and keg. and JOS covers were
weighted with strips of lead. so ihat ODD
the event of the surrender or capture ol
tho shin the office in charge of the book
rlieht toss ~ overheard Go prevent inc
code hook from falling into the hands
Of an enemy. Dat these precautions are
no longer so -tringently kept as the
CHANCES in the mode of sea- warfare
make tho code now OF but minor import
ance.
,,,r .,.,otvpes or Nfaur.
80, -. Co.. ,i... ,i,,. .ti,,,e
lh's S ",' VIZ, ', ,.'i - ',,,, a., ni.,ht ms
oui hl's H'-7 o.,,' g.,,, .'.t is email,
..,..'...,,, 40 have "A s,stom of signals
"s ~ ,i,nts og r.nrso lirbts
N.7''' "' 80, o..l Inn .u mos.
' ,.'.., th. sin,nts torch or lantern
'''''' -, loet and forth i'm the
V'. ',l, g., tn. cianorlfc system of
WE POO" ,. .i,l l,o,,, , re,hoarl
'ir,'Ii' '.,t,.t ,.,.,,t.i,,,ti.,.,s ,.s.d
WIN h's ~ " ''.'''''' 49,. ,,f ,,,,.,, ooior.
luth '''l' "iD 80. , s,,.i.. ,o.l..t
us'l 'h N'i ,'N9 wa, .'i a., d, ,...f..i,,. mr.
lf'd "7 ."'- 49,. 10 I'd Green
pay
"iH ~ ,t.so eirnrI lshts I'm a
s'. -. ,,,,it.. "a rr.ttv sieht. and
$50. ,,rin.tiaf.1 i'm The coles would
t.l.. some of the signals for "a pArottcilne