The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-08

Closely Guarded Secrets of the Navy's Sig
nal Books

Of the alphabet. emitting Y and x. The
code pennant IS always used with these
signals.
1as Ar,loi~ system at Night signals.
II a message is 20 he sent at night. the
.Arvsois system of night signals. with
which al our vessels carrying an electric
plant are fitted. is employed These s.S-
nais consist. essentially. Of five groups Of
double lamps. the two lamps in each group
containing incsndeSceat electric lamps.
and showing white and red respectively.
by the combination Of these lights letters
eau be formed. and 50 letter by letter .
word and thence al order can be spelled
cut for the guidance OF the ships of q
scus1yon. These lamps are suspended on
sly in the rigging, and are worked by
keyboard from the upper bridge.
On the smaller ships of the service.
these which - not fitted with electric
lighting, NeTy's night signals are used.
This sci includes the implements for firing
and rccharg.ng tae signals. The latter
show as green and red stars on being
projected from the pistols made for them.
The combination Of red and greea IN vari-
GUS ways is used 10 express the numhesu
from 10 3 aud O. 80 that the numbers. 70
four digits contained in the signal book.
may re displayed
Meyers via Wax signals.
The Meyer wig wag system Is employed
either by day or night. Flags and torches
are employed. The official nag Is = red
heid with small white square In the
center. the unofficial flag Is the same with
the colors reversed, The operator having
attracted the attention Of the ship which
Is to he signaied by waving the nag or
torch from right to left. transmits his mes.
sage by motions right. left and front, each
motion representing an element of a let
ter of the alphabet. the letter being made
ZIP OF from one to four motions.
When circumstances permit the hello
graph is sometimes used The rays OF the
sun are thrown by system of mirrors
10 the point with which II IL desired 70
communicates. and then interrupted hy
means OF a shutter. making dots and
dashes used in the Morse telegraph
code. This system Is used only when op.
erations ashore are going on. as the roll
ing of the ship would prevent the concen.
sration of the rays of sunlight,
The present systems OF flag signaling ara
products Of experience In the past. and
are the natural growth OF the cruder flag
system In use in the war Of 1872 and IL
the civil war.
There have been some changes In the
construction of flags. and tho scope or
communication has been greatly enlarged.
but otherwise our forefathcrs talked at
sea IN auch the same way that we do now.
or course the Areios light signal II some
thing very modern. In old times they
communicated at night either with tlares
and coiored lights or by torches. but N
there was no alphabetical code In those
days the process was by means Of flashes
representing numbers in the signal book.
and II WAS long and tedious.
How well the present flag and Wig waE
signals will work during an engagement
remains to he discovered. but IL they fail.
attempts can sim be made 10 communicates
by the ships whistle. or by written mes
ages displayed on black boards II occa-
sson offers.
In case. of an enemy appearing on our
coast, arrangements have been made 10
notify the nearest body Of troops or the
commander 81 whatever ships may be ut
hand. For this purpose towers have been
erected az intervals, and telegraph wireS
leading from one TO the other have been
strung, 'shis. together with the telephone
system i'm usT by the light saving service
will permit % ample warning on the ap-
proach OF a hostile squadron.