The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-21

OF course each separate navy Of the
world has its own peculiar set OF signals
but when, as in the case OF the great com
bined naval review. the ships and squad
rons TO different nations come 90 act to-
gether, the use OF this International sys-
tenn with the result that the senior ad-
miral can give his orders and have them
quickly followed, even by people whose
language he does not speak
There are many other signals commonly
used by ships % sea and in harbOr such
as the blasts on the whistle 10 INDICATED
which way one ship intends TO pass an
other, as, when one vessel meeting an
other blows one sharp blast 10 means
i am going to sarboard" and the sec
ond vessel answers with one blast If Il
Is al right, Then two blasts mean go
ing to port" and three blasts run speed
astern," which may mean much when
collision is imminent.
Then by night every sailing and steam
ship under way carries a red light on the
port bow and a green one on the star
board bow, and the steam vessel carries
a white light at the fore masthead in ad-
dition, vesesl towing: another carries
disabled vessel carries three.
Then all vessels at anchor show one
white light twenty feet above the deck.
and there are separate lights for fishing
vessels and Vssels laying cables. and the
nare-up lights from the pilot boats and
so many different lights and signals that
the navigators memory must be lasting
and quick to use them all in shaping his
course to avoid the danger of collision.
A squadron of men-of-war at sea at
nlght with the usual running lights, and,
beside, speed lights. position lights and
the red and white signal lights, presents
a very startling and gay appearance,
and enc can hardly blame the Norwegian
sailor on a merchant steamer. who was
alott at the masthead on the lookout.
and, suddenly seeing such a squadron
loom up, sung out, Light, hoH'. Where
away came from the officer on the
bridge. and then. Can you make IL out2'
The bewildered lookout had never seen
- HAanInH &c
except in the shop windows of Shorthand,
so he answered, No, sir: am not sure
whether it's a droog store or a saloon"
In the merchant marine there are the
usual International signals, and, some
times the navy signals, where the vessel
may belong to the naval reserve of a
country. Then there are the line flags
to show the line the ship belongs to; the
port flag" at the foremost, or the flag
OF the country to which she Is bound,
and often the official mail flag of the
country whose mail is carried, dying al
the main mast
In port during foggy or thick weather
all vessels at anchor ring their bells at
intervals of several minutes to warn
any vessels under way from running
them down. This is, however. one curious
exception to this otherwise general rule.
To the Turkish people the bell is sacred
an implement $50 to speak, Of religion, so
they have asked other countries to allow
them to use horn instead Of a bell on
their vessels and Ii has been allowed
though otherwise they follow all of the
universal rules of the road at sea.
All these signals are to prevent disaster
and make navigation easier, but when.
in spite of all of them. disaster does
come, and good ship strikes on a rocky
or stormy shore, there are still a few
signals to use that may bring what help
is near. One Is the discharging at inter
walls of large rockets, and another the fir
ing of the minute guns" which have so
often been used and misused in the ro-
nance and poetry of the sea.
The signals may seem many to the
landlubber" but the necessities that
arise on the tickle seas under uncertain
skies are many. and must all be met,
and conquered II possible, or ships could
not-as they do now-run from New York
to Liverpool and Southampton averag-
ing as close an observance 10 their sched-
uled time as the travel between New
York and San Francisco