The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-12
signal code is the language of ships at

signal code is the language Of ships at
nca.
II the cruisers OF the United States navy
were to lose their power OF speaking to
one another the effect upon tho navy
would be disastrous Speech at sea be-
tween warships Is us necessary AS speech
on land between mortals.
For years and years experts have been
at work getting up a system OF ship sig
malls by which vessels could communicate
with each other quickly and perfectly
but up to date no perfect system has even
been devised. There is not on the face
OF the earth or on the sea u perfect sys-
tenn OF ship signaling. There are in ca
1stence great many signals which are in
constant use. but all these have their i'm
perfections Some are faultier than others
The great obstacle in the way Of ship
signaling Is the distance There are n
great many signals which arc good within
eyesight. hut as soon as the eycsisht flils
TIE signals become useless. In case of fog
great many systems are thrown out,
DINERS become useless at night; other sys-
TENS have to be discarded because thcv ia
pend wholly upon color and color is ex.
tremcly apt to fall when most needed. The
eyes are deceived by the rapid flashing.
Flag systems are very good hut 4, cns.,
OF calm the flags hang limp and then
sven the nag system is useless This 4,
however. about the most eifioaclous OF ali
and Is In general use all over the world.
SECRET CODES.
When Captain Sigsbee's Maine WINS
blown up the captains first thought was
for his private signal code. This is IN
the captains cabin of every cruiser ana
is kept under lock and key, This secret
signal code is printed in book, the covers
OF which are weighted with lead. In an
engagement at sea, il the vessel IL about
70 De captured, the captain or the next
oinccr thinks OF tho signal code, gets 1t
out and drops 1t overheard II falls Ike
iead TO the bottom of the sea and the enc
my docs not get hold of H. Fortunately
captain Sigsbce found the signal code in
the cabn--or what remained Of the cab n
--of the Maine. There 1t was, but perfeet
II It had been lost at sea 1t would have
necessitated the making OF a new code for
the entire United States navy.
Some years ago an international signal
code was adopted by which all vessels on
the high seas could speak to each other
This code Is OF such a nature that II can
be read by English. French German. Span.
ish, Italian or Russian sailors without
trouble. They 40 not nee1 to know any
TO read the code. if y
This international code coneists OF
eighteen flags. as follows.
Ono bnrgee, four pennants and thirteen
square flags. and In addition an answer
Ing pennant. The eighteen flags reprs.
sent the consonants OF the alphabet ana
Dy combination of two. three or four
o. these flsss arbitrary signs are made
which represent words and sentences az
the same signification in all languages.
LETTER CODES.
Letters are represented by the flags In
the International code instead Of numerals.
Aettem are adopted in order TO make !.
more ropprehsnsiys code. II numerals
vsrs ussd only i.1to distinct signals could
y: 1.ae With hoist Of four flags; but
s|,'1S ~ S:ss3 a!st'ncs sienals are pos
IL ~ VA ~ iatsssa-