Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-06-17
WARSHIPS' SIGNALS.
FLAGS USED BY DAY AND LAMPS
BY NIGHT.
But Owing to the Smoke of Battle,
no Entirely Satisfactory System
Has Yet Been Invented.

no Entirely Satisfactory System
Has Yet Been Invented.
In a naval battle the success or fail
ure of fleet may depend on keeping
open communication between the dif-
ferent vessels of the squadron engaged
Owing to the fact that the surface of
the sea would often be obscured by
the smoke of battle, the difficulty of
this is apparent, and naval experts
have been kept busy devising some
method by which the flagship can
communicate with the other vessels
of squadron at all times and under
all conditions.
So far nothing has been put in gen.
eral service which meets this demand
but it is understood that there has
lately been invented telephone
which it is claimed can be used with
out wires, and that signals can be
projected by vibrator on one vessel
against receiver on another. The
! Navy Department is keeping the de-
tails of this new system carefully to
itself as it desires to have the inven-
ton for the exclusive use of our own
ships in battle.
The present method of communica-
ton is by the use of flags representing
numerals, which are displayed in the
rigging; by the use of the Ardois sys-
tenn of lights for night work; by the
Meyer code of wig-wag signals, and by
the use of the heliograph.
AS it is of the utmost importance
that the enemy should not read the
messages the signal books on board a
vessel are protected with the greatest
care, and are destroyed along with the
ciphcr-code, whenever it is seen that
capture is inevitable. The semaphore
signal system in use in the British
navy was tried for time aboard some
of our vessels, but it never became
popular and has been abandoned.
In signaling by the navy code the
sentence to be sent is looked up in the
code book, and its corresponding num-
ber is obtained. This number is never
more than four figures, on account Of
the necessity of setting the signal
with the least delay. The number
having been obtained, the quarter
master in charge of the signal chest
proceeds to send the flags represent
ing the numerals to the signal
halliards, so as to read from the top
down. These flags represent the
numerals from to and 0, and there
is a triangular pennant termed a re-
peater, which is used in a combination
where one or more numerals recur.
The numbers refer to those found in
the general signal book, in which are
printed all the words, phrases and sen-
tences necessary to frame an order,
make an inquiry, indicates a geographic
cal Iposition or signal a compass
course. Answering, interrogatory,
preparatory and geographical PEN
nants form part of this code; also
cornet, telegraph, danger. dispatch
and quarantine flags.
The signal having been prepared is
hoisted and left flying until the vessel
to which the message has been sent
signifies that it is understood by hoist.
ing what is called the answering pen
nant. If the number hoisted by the
flagship is a preparatory order for a
fleet movement it is left flying until
all the vessels of the fleet have an
swered, and then is pulled down, the
act of pulling the signal down being
understood as the command for the
execution Of the movement just com.
municated.
1t is often necessary for a man-of-
war to communicate with a merchant
vessel or with some other warship be-
longing to a foreign country. For
this purpose the international code is
also carried in the signal chest. These
signals are those in general use by all
the merchant navies of the world, for
communication by day at sea. There
are 18 flags and a code pennant, cor.
responding to consonants, of the
alphabet, emitting X and Z. The
code pennant is always used with these
signals.
If message is to sent at night, the
Ardois system of night signals, with
which our vessels carrying an electric
plant are fitted, is employed. These
signals consist essentially, of five
groups of double lamps, two lamps in
each group containing incandescent
electric lamps, and showing white and
red respectively. By the combination
of these lights letters can be formed,
and so letter by letter a word and
thence an order can be spelled out for
the guidance of the ships of q squad
ron. These lamps are suspended on
stay in the rigging, and are worked by
keyboard from the upper bridge.
On the smaller ships of the service,
those which are not fitted with elec-
trio lighting, Very's night signals are
used. This set includes the imple-
ments for firing and recharging the