The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-15
USED IN NAVAL WARFARE.
How Our ships Communicate During
n Sea Fight.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
In a naval battle, the success or fail
ure of a fleet may depend on keeping
open communication between the different
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 fias-
ship can communicate with the other yes
sells of squadron at all times and under
all conditions. So far, nothing has been
put in general service which meets this
demand. but lately there have been expert
ments, with a telephone which. Il is said.
can be used without wires, by which sig
nails can be projected by a vibrator on
one vessel against a receiver on another.
The navy department is keeping the de-
tails OF this new system carefully TO IL
self, as it desires to have the invention
for the exclusive use of our own ships
In battle.
The present method of communica ton
is by the use of flags representing num-
erals, which are displayed in the rigging,
by the use of the Ardois system of lights
for night work; by the Myer code of wiz
wag signals, and by the use of the hello
graph. As 1t is of the utmost Importance
that the enemy should not read the mes
sage the signal books on board a vessel
are protected with the greatest care. and
are destroyed along with the cipher code
whenever II is seen that capture Is inevita,
bic. The semaphore system in use in the
British navy was tried for a time aboard
some OF our vessels, but Il never became
popular. and has been abandoned.
In signaling by the navy code the SEN
tence TO be sent is looked up in the code
book and its corresponding number is oh
tanned. 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 pro
ceeds to bend the flags representing the
numerals to the signal halhards. so as to
read from the top down. These flags rep
present the numerals from / to 8 and O.
and there Is a Triangular pennant term
ed repeater, which Is used in a combi-
nation 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 sentences nee
essary to frame an order. make an'inquiry,
Indicate a geographical position or signal
a compass course. Answering, interroga-
tory, preparatory and geographical pen
nants from part of this code; also tele-
graph 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 hoisting what is
called the answering pennant. If the num-
Der hosted by the flagship is preparatory
order for fleet movement 1t Is left flying
until all the vessels of the feet have an
swered and then is pulled down, the act Of
pulling the signal down being understood
as the nd for the execution of the
movement just communicated
1t is often necessary for a man-of-war
TO communicate with a merchant vessel or
with some other warship belonging to a
| foreign country. For this purpose the in
ternational code is also carried In the sig
nal chest These signals are those in gen