The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-07-21
APIcTUREsoUe LANGUAGE.
System of searchlight Signals by Which
Great warships Talk.

bystem OF SoarchHght signals Dy Wnicn
Great warships Talk.
The most picturesque language in the
world is the system Of searchlight sig
mails by which the great warships con-
verse with each other at night. The
letters may be said to be written with
great pencils of light, with the black
sky as parchment. The accompany
ing illustration reproduces a short
sentence spelled out in this unique
way.
The searchlight signals are by far
the most successful night signals in the
world. The great beams Of light
streaming across the sky may be read
lily recognized at distance of ten miles
or more, and a message may be trans
mitted at this distance with very slight
chance of error. To the uninitiated
the language written in this curious
fashion would appear to be a rather
remarkable exhibition of fireworks and
nothing more. A very little knowl-
edge will enable one to catch their
meaning. The alphabet of these magic
searchlights is merely an adaptation
Of the so-called wig-wag system which
has been in use for centuries and is
spoken universally.
The system Of searchlight signals is
exceedingly simple and may be learned
very readily. The original wig-wag
system Is transmitted with flags or
with lanterns by night, and the var
ious signals are made by waving the
flag or light. The man who signals
to trains merely follows a system
which is an adaptation Of the wig-wag
system. In the original wig-wag sys-
tenn there are but three signals made
by waving the flag or light-to the
right, to the left or in front of the sig
nal man. The alphabet is arranged
much the same as the Morse tele-
graphic alphabet by an arbitrary COM
bination of the two signals.
In the wig-wag system the man
sending the signal is required to stand
throughout in one position and wave
the flag meanwhile. 1t will of course
be seen that IL he changes his position
he is likely to change the position Of
| Iuc nag anu COuluc0 Iuc ol6hoio. tNoWg
on warship the vessel itself must take
position just the same as the signal
man and remain at rest until the sig
mails are finished. The ordinary wig
wag signals are made by waving flag,
| and the signals on a man-of-war are
made merely by throwing or waving
the brilliant beams Of these search
! ItnLt DC f,@ IL -. L.,
way. The rules of one system of
course apply to the other. In the wig
wag system there is but one position,
with three motions. The system re-
quires the ship to rest directly facing
the station with which it is desired to
communicate, with the light pointing
directly upward in a vertical line. The
first motion, which signifies No. 1, is
made by waving the searchlight around
to the right of the ship. The signal
must embrace an arc of 80 degrees,
starting with the vertical and return
ing to it, The second motion, No. 2,
Is made by moving the pencil Of light
In the same way, only to the left Of the
sender. To make the third signal, No.
3, the light is moved from the verti-
cal position to the ground, or rather
the waterline, directly in front of the
sender and instantly returning 1t to its
original vertical position.
The various letters of the alphabet
are made by grouping the first and
second signals together. The letter
A is, for instance, made by repeating
twice the second signal-thus, %; the
letter B is 2112, C is 121 and SO on.
Signal No. is repeated at the end
Of each word, abbreviation or conven-
tional signal. The signals transmit
ted in this way will be readily recog-
nized by the captains of ships of all
countries. This is the international
code and is used in times of peace and
in conversing with vessels of other
countries. In time Of war, however,
each country arranges a secret code for
use among its own fleet. This enables
them, of course, to tell each other all
sorts of secrets which the enemy can
not possibly read.