The Opelousas courier., 1898-09-24
IN SEA FIGHTS.
MEANS OF &C .AMUNIcATION USED
BY OUR WARSH!PS.
Flags in the Day Time and Electric Lights
at Night Used Chietiy-Secrets of Sig
nal Books Guarded ClOsely-Ardois
Signals and Myer Wigwag System.

ing open communication between the
different vessels Of the squadron en-
gagged. Owing to the fact that the
surface of the sea would often be OBJ
scured by the smoke of battle, the diff
Gculty of this is apparent, and naval
experts have been kept busy devising
some method by which the flagship
can communicate with the other YES
sells of a squadron at all times and I'M
der all conditions. So far, nothing
has been put in general service which
meets this demand, but lately there
have been experiments with a tele-
phone which, it is said, can be used
without wires, by whic!e signals can
be projected by a vibratolap one yes
sci against O receiver on anotlGE"rta
Navy Department is keeping the de-
tails of this new system carefully to
itself, as it desires to have the inven-
tion for the exclusive use of our own
ships in battle.
The present method of communion
ton is by the use of flags representing
numerals, which are displayed in the
rigging; by the use of the Ardois sys-
TEN of lights for night work, by the
Myer code of wigwag signals, and by
the use of the Photograph. AS it is OF
the utmost Importance that the enemy
should not read the message, the sig
nal books on board q vessel are pro-
tected with the greatest care, and
are destroyed along with the cipher
code whenever it is seen that capture
is inevitable. The %semaphore system
in use in the British Navy was tried
for u time aboard some of our vessels,
but it never became popular, and has
been abandoned.
In signalling by the navy code the
sentence to be sent is looked up in the
code book and it's corresponding num-
Der 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 quartermaster in
charge of the signal chest proceeds to
bend the flags representing the numer-
ais to the signal halliards, SO as to
read from the top down. These flags
represent the numerals from 1 to 8
and 0, and there is a triangular pen
naut termed a repeater, which is used
in q combination where one or more
numerals recur. The numbers refer
to those found in the general signal
book, in which IRE printed all the
words, phrases and sentences neces-
sary to frame an order, make an in
quiry, indicate a geographical position,
or signal q compass course. Answer
ing, interrogatory, preparatory, and
geographical remnants form part Of
this code; also telegraph, danger, des-
patch, 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
hosting what is called the answering
pennant. 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 movemant just COM
municated.
It is often necessary for q man-of-
wal to communicate with a merchant
vessel or with some other warship
belonging to q 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 eighteen flags and q code pennant,
corresponding to consonants of the OIL
phabet, emitting X and z. The code
pennant is always used with these
signals.
If a message is to be sent at night
the ardois system of night signals,
with which all our vessels carrying an
electric plant are fitted, is employed.
These signals consist, essentially, of
five groups of double lamps, the two
lamps in each group containing in
candescent electric lamps, and show
ing white and red respectively. By
the combination Of these lights let
ters 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 a squadron. These lamps are
suspended on a stay in the rigging,
and are worked by a keyboard from
the upper bridge.
On the smaller ships of the service,
those which are not fitted with electric
lighting, Very's night signals are
used. This set includes the imple-
ments for firing and recharging the
signals. The latter show as green and
red stars on being projected from the
pistols made for them. The combi-
nation of red and green in various
ways is used to express the numbers,
from 1 to 9 and O., so that the numbers,
to four digits, contained in the signal
book, may be displayed.
The IMyer wigwag system is en-
ployed either by day OR night. Flags
and torches are employed. The Off
cial flag is a red field with a small
white square in the centre; the unof-
fetal flag is the same with the colors
reversed. The operator, having at
tracted the attention of the ship which
is to be signalled by waving the flag
or torch from right to left, transmits
his message by motions right, left, and
front, each motion representing an
element of a letter of the alphabet,
the letter being made up from one to
four motions