The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-03


Receive Incandescent RepIies-The
London BOARD of Trade Also Con-
sidering Its Usc-LiGhts Operated
by n Typewriter key-Bonrd i'm the
wheel House.
Copyright, 1891
New York Jan. There is a crying
need for new signals at sea" said a MEM
Der of the marine board of the United
States land with the deeping Cuban
Spanish disturbance it has become an alb
solute necessity that new signals be
adopted.
THE present signal system has been in
use forty years and is known as the In
ternational Code England, France. Ger |
many, Russia. Brazil, Italy, Austria. Hol-
land, Portugal Belgium, Spain, Norway
and Sweden have all adopted it. Yet the
system is about as bad a one as any in
stitution of civilization. 1t is so defective |
that the United States marine board has |
never formally recognized it. True the |
United States has been forced TO act ia
conformity with other nations in this sig |
nal code, but It has never approved the |
present crude system
This signal system is carried on by
means of flags. They are of different |
sizes, shapes and colors. Each flag means
something and there is a long pointed
flag which means answer The others
spell out words by combination.
For example. there are two flags. One
is a long pointed blue one with a white
circle in the middle The other is a blue
and white plaid. These lifted up mean
4 must abandon the vessel The ship
that is approaching will raise its flags in
white lines upon 1t and the other yellow
and blue flag These mean remain by the
ship
There are nineteen of these flags, all
den0ting words. Taken together they
form sentences. Every mariner has
book of marine intelligence by which he
READS these fiags
AT present the only sentences that can
be expressed are
'f'Want immediate assistance
DO not attempt to tand in your boats.
We are coming to your assistance
Damaged rudder; cannot steer
g You are standing into danger
Engine or machinery disabled
HEAVY weather coming; look sharp
" Bar impossible
Cast off,
" Make fast
. Slack away
" The berth you are now in is not
safe
+" Hold on until high water
" Remain by the ship.
Quit the vessel as soon as possible
DO not quit the ship until the tide has
ebbed.'
Landing is impossible
Look out for a line
'Endeavor TO send a line
Do the best you can for yourselves
no assistance can be given
Lookout will be kept on the beach all |
night.
Lights or fires will be kept for the
best place for coming on shore
Keep light burning
must abandon the vessel
L am on fire.
i am sinking
Want assistance; mutiny.'
Want immediate medical assistance.
Want boat immediately
Want steam tug
Want pilot can one be obtained +? |
(AnsWer yes or no.)
Repeat your signal or place Il in a |
more conspicuous position; it Is not I'M
derstood'
. Signal not understood. although the
flags are distinguished
These signals. while good as far as they
go. said the maritime member. "are open
TO practical objection. Every year we
make out protest against them.
The first trouble with the working of
these flags comes with the reading of
them. Every mariner knows his code
But in the great excitement OF danger at
sea there are always mistakes. The pilot
or the captain of one or the other boats
becomes ratified
1.-THE other ship reads them contrary to
meaning, and there is no accurate replv
If read Alright they take fifteen minutes
to execute; meanwhile the ships are com
ing towards each other at the rate of
twenty knots an hour and withdrawn
just as fast and the captains come into
port telling OF ship at that raised
peculiar signals that could not be under
stood or were too slowly raised. and there
was no time to delay for a good reading
THE next objection is a still more prac-
teal one. In a stiff wind flags fly to wind
ward, generally to the aft of the ship, and
cannot be read. A boy running with a
flag finds II fiutters back of him. The
same with rapid ship. The flags fly so
straight backward that the other vessel
cannot discern flags at all.
Accidents occur every month owing to
this, and the captains come into port
swearing that they signalled certain YES
sells and were disregarded, while the other
NatkdttA NASs ttibft were no Signals seem
One captain at sea stands ready to aid
another In every emergency and as there
Is no question of the truth of their sta te-
ments, the signal system must be at fault
AT night there are now colored lights
that while good, are very inaccurate
There are about twenty-five of these
lights that burn combinations of color
One burns red for minute, then green
then red again. This means L have
sprung leak
"other lights stand for I want assist
ance.'
Want water
Have contagious disease
Shall we keep company !?
Want to communicate Closer
4 am aground
Want TO he taken in tow
Want food
And so through a very ordinary list of
wants
These are all expressed. at night bv
these colored lights. But in a fog or
storm you may see the lights and YOU
may not. or they may splutter and pro-
dIlpa "a ,F