The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-09-09
NAVY SIGNALLING.
SYSTEMS USED TO COMMUNICATE
BETWEEN SHIPS.

WiSwaSglng Electric Lights, Searchlighf
Flashes and Beams That Carry Messages
Long Distances-Steam Whistles and
Other Noises Also Employed.
There is nothing more attractive to
the average civilian brought into con-
tact for the first time with naval GUS
toms that the many systems of signall-
ing employed as a means of communi-
cation between one ship and another.
Visitors on board men-of-war ask
more questions about signals than
about guns. There is something mys-
terious- almost uncanny-in the idea
of one ship communicating at night
with another at a distance so great as
to insure their being invisible to each
other from aloft, even if it were broad
daylight. And yet this actually hap
pened some months ago, when the Gin
cinnati exchanged signals by search
light with Admiral Simpsons flag
ship, the New York, more than
thirty miles away. The feat is,
of course. less wonderful than TAX
ing in New York through a
telephone with a friend in Chi
cago, or sending a message many
thousands of miles under the sea by
cable; but we have grown so accus-
toned to these marvels of modern
science that we take them as matter
of course.
Broadly speaking, signalling may be
divided into two classes, visual and
aural In the daytime, for compare
lively short distances, ships use what
is commonly termed the wigwag. This
is a method of visual signalling, de-
pending upon an alphabet similar to
the Morse code employed in telegraph
ing. Indeed the Morse code was at
one time in actual use in the navy. By
this system a flag represents l, or dot,
when waved to the right, and 2, or a
dash, when waved to the left. At the
end of each word the flag is brought
down directly to the front. Thus the
flagstaff, being held vertically in front
of the centre of the body of the signal
man, is moved successfully to the right
or left in such manner as to make any
desired letter in the code. For example
aW'' is "1121" and is made by waving
twice to the right, then once to the
left, and again to the right. The al
phabet employed in the wigwag is
called the Myers codea is thefounda-
ton for nearly all naval signalling. 1t
is also used in the United States Army
60 IN fiT1rr fxyith
the navy in combined operations by
the land and sea forces. In the army
signalling is in the hands of very
expert corps of soldiers, who receive
a much higher rate Of pay than the
others, whereas in the navy all except
the f1reroom force are taught signall-
ing. The consequence is that in the
army signalling is confined to few
men specially trained therefore and that
in the navy all hands possess smat-
tering of this important subject. The
practice of the British Navy is similar
to that of our army. 1t is an open ques-
ton as to which method is the better,
there being many arguments on both
sides. 1t is an undisputed fact, how
ever, that the sailors all became fairly
proficient, and a few highly so.
On board each ship is found series
of red and white electric lanterns at
tached to cable running up and down
the mast. The red corresponds to 1
and the white to in the Myers code,
and by means of keyboard any de-
y h
will. The letter CIV" here becomes
red, red, white, red," all four lights
being turned on simultaneously. A
message can in this manner be spelled
out and readily understood by all
ships within signal distance. The Ny
ers code is also in use for sound sig
Mailing, one toot of a steam whistle
representing 1, two short toots 2, and a
long blast the end Of word. In fog
this if often the only means of signall-
ing practicable. ships cruising in
squadron being manoeuvred when en-
tirely invisible to each other Similar
sounds can be made with horn or by
gunfre. The wigwag signal may be
made at night by waving lantern
OF torch to the right or left, just as the
flag is utilized in daylight. Sometimes
single white electric lantern is fitted
with key for making and breaking
the circuit, and signals are made by
flashes, the system being analogous to
that employed with the steam whistle
ii. e., one quick flash is 1, two quick
flashes 2, and prolonged flash the end
of a word.
At night the searchlight may be
brought into play by waving the beam
to the right and left (wigwag) or by
the flash method.
Notwithstanding the many systems
in use at the present day, others are
being constantly added. 1t is even
contemplated to adopt semaphore
system similar to that now used by the
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