The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1898-11-19
suEz CANAL SIGNAL SYSTEM.
Ths Devices, Save In Exceptional Cases
Work Perfectly.


Ths Devices, Save In Exceptional Cases.
Work Perfectly.
IN the large ONCE at Terreplein there
Is almost perfect silence, though the
employees are working steadily: each at
his especial task. Sometimes there are
as many as forty ships in the canal at
one time and the slightest mistake In
signaling between the stations might
lead to serious consequences, declares
tie New Haven Register. All these
vessels, whether they are In the Ear
rowest cutting, whether they are NOV
ing along at full steam through the
tWenty-three miles Of deep water in
the Great Bitter lakes, or whether they
arc leaving the canal at Port Said. are
under the direction OF the man who sits
at his desk in the ONCE at Terreplein.
The method OF working the canal is in
genious, yet comparatively simple. At
one side of the room against the wall
Is a narrow shelf, along which runs a
groove. At intervals this groove has
deep recesses, which in two places are
much larger than they are elsewhere.
The groove represents the canal and
the recesses the sidings. the two large
ones being the Great Bitter lakes and
Lake Timsah. When a vessel has
been signaled and Is about to enter the
canal-at the Suez end, for example
a toy boat or model about four inches
long is chosen to represent her. A
group OF these little models stand
ready near the model canal, and each
one Is furnished with a flag to denote
its nationality. The English flag is
naturally the predominating ensign,
though all countries are provided for.
AS the real steamer approaches and her
name becomes known II is written on a
slip Of paper and placed on the toy
boat The number Of ships actually in
the canal can thus be seen at q glance,
and also the exact positions In which
they are situated, for, as the tele-
graphic signals give notice Of each YES
sells progress, her. toy representative
Is moved along, placed In q siding or
shown crossing one Of the lakes. Sig
HAZE bClN NAAb OLANC " NhN
various "gares," or stations, naming
the siding at which each ship must
stop and wait to let another pass It.
The official on duty moves the models
according to his dispatches, and when
two vessels going in opposite direc-
tons are nearing the same siding he
warns their pilots by means Of the sig
nal balls and flags at each station,
which he controls from the ONCE, and
indicates which Of the two Is to give
way to the other. The arrangement,
except in the case Of occasional aecl-
dent, works perfectly. The clerk can
tell In q moment the name, nationality.
tonnage, draught and precise position
of every ship In the canal; he knows
who her pilot is, how fast she Is NOV
ing, her breadth of beam and various
other details, and he has absolute con-
troll Of her every movement. Most Of
the Suez pilots are OF Greek origin.
though Englishmen and men Of other
are occasionally met. The
pilots chief duty is to prescribe the
rate Of speed, as the officers OF YES
sci would have really no dificulty In
taking her through the canal without
guidance. In the narrow cuts the speed
Ia limited to six miles an hour, but
vessels may proceed much faster In the
lake sections. Two pilots are always
for one goes on and a sec
ond comes on at Ismailia, on Lake
Tfmsah.