Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-10-14

while cruising or in action is
g one of the most interesting
and ingenious details OF modern navi-
CATION. Brains and inventive genius
have been freely expended in devising
new systems and improving old ones,
until row of flags and pennants, or
swaying torch, or ball of fire can an
initiate miles of rough pillows as
easily as the telegraph spans q con-
tinent.
The systems chiefly used by the
Navy Department are flags by day and
lights at night.
The flag system is very simple. Ten
flags stand for the numerals from one
to ten. By grouping these flags, any
combination of numbers may be OBJ
tanned, which shall be equivalent to
word, phrase or whole sentence, ac-
cording to a code issued by the Navy
Department. For e4ample-2653 may
mean "Running short of COAL" 800,
''Tack to windward;" 760, "Boiler dis
abled;" 45, "Wheel into line for
maneuvering," and so on ad infnltum.
The code books, one of which is found
on every vessel, are thoroughly in
dexed, with each combination of
figures opposite the word, phrase or
sentence it stands for in signaling.
The combinations are secret and are
carefully guarded to prevent an
enemy, or even n curious jack Tar
from reading the dispatches from YES
sci to vessel. The sets of numbers are
SO ,many, and may be arbitrarily
altered so easily that there is little
chance of their secret leaking out by
constant repetitions, and to prevent
the code book falling into the hands
of ali enemy in time of war, its covers
are heavily weighed with lead, SO that
if thrown overheard it is hopelessly
lost.
The designs of the flags standing for
tho numerals are as follows: 1, red
flag; 2, white flag; 3, blue flag; 4, a
flag made OF two triangles of contrast
ing shades, the color in the upper
right hand corner being red; 5, the
color in the ne corner, white; 6,
blue right-hand upper corner, the
shade of the other triangle being i'm
material if contrasting. Seven is Il
flag with red bars at top and bottom;
8, white bars at top and bottom; 8,
blue bars at top and bottom, and zero,
flag bearing blue cross.
In addition to the flags standing for
numerals number of pennants are
used to qualify the message or ex-
pressed fixed phrases. One pennant
signals the sender that the message
has been received and is understood.
Another is called the ''interrogatory, 5"
and its use is ingenious. 1t happens
that all the sentences in the code
book are in the affirmative, so that if
the Rear-Admiral on board the flag
ship Columbia wants to ask the com
mandant of the Minneapolis if he has
coal enough the nearest message he
can find to the question he wants to
ask will be "We have coal enough, p"
expressed by "G73," for example.
This will be answering the question be-
fore it is asked, so the "interroga-
tory" pennant is flown above the
numeral flags and the signal is turned
into query.
The commandant Of the Minneapo-
lis hoists n pennant signaling that the
message is received and prepares to
answer it. Finding he has 100 tons
of coal in the scuppers, his answer will
be: "Have HOO tons of coal on
board" He consults the index of his
code book and finds the sentence :
"Have - tons of coal on board. "
He sends this message first by signal
ing the combination of numbers OPP
posite the sentence in the code book,
and then signals 100, the number OF
tons.
To do this the first method to sug-
gest itself would be raising four flags,
two red, each signifying /, and two
with blue crosses, each standing for
0, and thus spell out 100. The code
calls for another method, however, at
once simple and ingenious, and much
more saving of bunting. Each vessel
Is provided with set of pennants
called repeaters-frst. second and
third respectively. When repeater
is raised below flags representing
numbers it shows that one of the nu-
merals above it is repeated in the po-
sition it occupies. The first repeater
means the repetition Of the first num-
Der of the combination, the second
repeater the second number, and SC
on. Eleven hundred would be spelled
out in this way: First, red flag for
/, then the first repeater, showing the
the first number was repeated then q
flag with blue cross for 0, and finally
the third repeater, showing that the
third number in the combination was
repeated.
The English Navy utiljzes the rays
from powerful electric light with ex,
cellent results. The lamp is concealed
behind adjustable shutters, which
open. and close rapidly at the will OF
the operator, These shutters are
shifted, partially opened or closed,
and combined in such manner as to
throw out shafts of light of different
! 4 Il