The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03
A WIDE RANGE.

tence IS quoted as an instance OF now any
desired sentence may be spelled out and
transmitted by the signal system.
A WIDE RANGE.
Commodore Schley's name would be sig
nailed by GLIB ara CDMP but for many
other proper names the process Of spelling
would be long. If the commander of the
flying squadron should wish to make a rapid
change of base, and desired to signal Get
under way as fast as you cam" MLH would
be the flags shown to the ships of his feet.
If afterwards he should decide to wait until
high tide, the flags MILF would instruct the
vessels to wait for high water" These
few examples will serve as illustrations of
the wide range of code words and the
advantages of the system. The investigator
who studies the system carefully cannot fail
to admire the thoroughEesS and skill with
which the codification was performed, Serv-
ing as 1t has with perfect satisfaction for
forty years.
Signal flags are not to be depended upon
except when their colors are distinctly visi-
bic. and this is practicable, in general only
within moderate distances. Hence for con-
siderable distance it is necessary to rely
upon the form and arrangement Of the SYM
bols used. rather than upon colors. With this
end in view, distant signals comprising the
three distinct symbols, a ball. square, a
flag, and a triangular pennant have been
adopted. The ball stands as the characters
tic of the distant signal, so that when that
is seen, 1t will be known that the signaling is
to be done by this system rather than by
the color system and so any flag or pennant
OF proper shape may be used in connection
with it without regard to the color. These
symbols by changing their relative positions
and using one, two, or three of each, as
may be required, form letters to which the
same Interpretation is to be given to the
letters represented by the signal flags, but
the. glasses used at sea, together with the
skill attained by mariners in making out dis
tant objects, enable them to distinguish the
ordinary signals at so great distance that
the more cumbersome system of distant sig
mails is rarely employed.
On the French, Italian and Portuguese,
and, in a few instances, on the Spanish and
Austrian coasts, there are semaphore sig
nails, three arms being attached to a high
post in conspicuous location, and the posi-
ton of the arms indicates certain letters
which are in turn interpreted by the code.
1t will be recalled that a Semaphore station
was among the objects destroyed at Carde-
mas. But this system is essentially foreign,
and is not employed in the United States. 1t
may be somewhat Of a surprise to know
that the United States maintains only four
coast signal stations where signals are ex-
changed with passing vessels. These are at
Cape Henry, Va; Jupiter, Fla; Tatoosh
Island, Wash, and Point Reyes Light, Cal
The other stations are private enterprises,
and the United States government does not
accept any responsibility for them. They
are conducted by maritime exchanges with
which they are in communication, reporting
to them the arrival Of vessels. They are
located at Portland, Me-; Boston: Hull,
twelve miles from Boston; the Highland
Lighthouse on Cape Cod: the Highland
Lights, at Sandy Hook, New York harbor;
Delaware Breakwater, Delaware, reporting
to Philadelphia Fortress Monroe, reporting
to Norfolk, Va; the Southwest Pass of the
Mississippi, below New Orleans, and Golden
Gate. San Francisco. Foreign governments
parently almost as numerous IN proportion
to mileage as the United States life-saving
stations, and in Great Britain and in certain
British possessions the Lloyds corporation
maintains private stations