The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-26
SIGNALLING AT SEA.
THE INTERNATIONAL CODE AND IT'S
WORKINGS.
The Use OF Lon%-Distnnce signals.
The SemaphOne-Coast Signal sta
tfOns, National and Private.

quent references 70 signals exchanged be-
tween the war-vessels of our navy and
the messages conveyed by them are often
so long that curiosity may be aroused as
90 the means for transmitting, through the
medium of signals. so many words as are
involved. 1t is plain that each cannot be
spelled out by letter flags, for that would
make a string Of signals from the top of
the mast to the water, and should every
common word have its proper signal flag,
large portion of the vessel would have
10 be set aside for the storage of the nee
essary bunting, and moreover il would not
be possible to make the flags distinct and
recognizable at a distance The difficulty
has been overcome by means of the inter-
national code, which employs but eighteen
signal hags, and this is in general use.
not only in the merchant service. but on
war-vessels although each navy has a Sc
cret code, founded upon the same system
embracing words and phrases of strictly
naval use, and others which might be re-
CURED for confidential use, such as "Opeu
fire In thirty minutes" IF he comes clos
err use the rapid-fire guns" and orders
of similar import
The International code of signals was
prepared by committee appointed by the
British Board of Trade on July @ 1865. to
inquire INTO and report upon the subject
OF code of signals 10 be used at sea. Such
report was made in September of the
following year, ana so perfect and ser
Viceabie did it prove that 1t has continued
IN use without change to the present time
/ he est.r,, -
means of communication between ships at
sea, whatever their nationality. The origi-
nal arrangement of the code signals being
strictly adhered to In the all cases IL is
quite practicable for any two vessels OF
dtlerent ationalit'es, whether war or mer-
chant, tc communicate intelligently bv
these signals, even when neither under
stands tho language spoken by the other,
for a translation of the signals has been
prepared by every government and FUR
hishvd Tor the use of its war and merchant
navlSs. Eighteen consonant letters coIiSt!-
tnte the foundation of this signal system
They are Is, c, d, f, G, H. j, X, l., M, ~
/, q. r, 5, T. V, and w. The flags repre-
SEEMING these are displayed IN sets of Two,
three. ana four letters each These ate
technically known as one burgee four PEN
nants and thirteen square flags. The first
IS red sWaliOw-tai, and is used for the
letter b. The pennants are used for the let
tiers c, ID, f, and G. The first is white
with red spot, the second blue with a
White spot, the third red with white spot,
ard the fourth yellow and blue in two YER
teal stripes. The square flags signify the
other thirteen letters used, and are In coll
or as follows Ii, white and red in two YER
ticai stripes; j, blue, white, blue, in three
horizontal stripes; X, yellow and blue in
two vertical stripes L. blue and yellow in
four a'ernate checks: M. blue with white
diagonal cross N, blue and white In six
teen alternate checks. =, blue with white
square In center; q, yellow; r, red with
yellow right cross; S, white with blue
square in center; T, red, white blue, in
three vertical stripes; V, white with red
diagonal cross; w, red square surround
ed by white border surrounded by a blue
border teaching to the edge of the flag
The code book itself is in two parts. The
first consists Of what are called general
signals and includes such words phrases
and sentences as are commonly requir-
ed In communications by signals between
one ship and another at sea or between
ships and signal stations arranged by
groups, and also of geographical signals
including the names Of different places up
on the globe, principally of seaport towns
and others apt to be used. The second
part, on the other hand, consists of an ar
rangement in alphabetical order of words
pun dStG anu SIAlAGUCtS u DdIl HTSl, TO-
gether with an alphabetical spelling-table
to be used in making signals for words
not covered by the code and also an al
phabetlcal arrangement of the geograph-
ical signals. Three hundred and six com
binations of letters can be made by using
two letters, 1896 by using sets of three let
ters, and %, 440 sets of signals can be made
BY using four letters in each,making a
total of 7S,642 possible combinations In
anplVinO those con1 bipat fnpe 10 tho Jtfcor
ent signals Of the code, the two-letter sets,
being the simplest, are reserved for urgent
and important signals. For instance, the
signal BID signifies What ship Is that?''
and JD you are standing into danger"
The three-letter sets are for similar rea-
son reserved for the other general sig
nails BRS means win you take a letter
for me?' DHF, Where is the caDtain?"
DIV, rs your crew all on hoard?" JDK,
Il shall fire into the boats If they persist
in coming alongside" The four-letter sets
being so numerous are subdivided as to
their purpose. Some are reSerVed for ge-
ographical signals and others for the al
phabetieal signals referred to In part sec
ond. Others are reserved for the signals
of ships, LAO combinations being set aside
10 designate men-of-war and 50 040 being
assigned to the merchant service The
designation Of each vessel by signal Is left
to the government of each nation within
the limits specified The flags are hoisted
in combinations as may be required, and
as each signal has throughout but one sig
MITIGATION, nothing further is required TO
make II und erstood. In order that a cap
tain may not lose time in ascertaining the
correct signal TO meet his requirements or
endeavor to improyise a sentence TO sig
nal when there Is one almost similar in
the code that will answer the purpose lust
as well the first part Of the code Is d.
vided into section on various subjects. Civ
ing nearly all Of the code sentences. with
the corresponding signal that is required
specified. 1t will be remembered that the
story is told that before the battle of Ira
fa,gar. Nelson ordered the signal hoisted.
Nelson expects every man 20 do his
duty" and the flag officer said in reply TO
this that to display the signal Nelson
would require the use of several flags TO
spell out the name. whereas they had the
signal England" IN one flag, and sugges-
ted that that should be used and so legend
accounts for the origin of the famous
phrase, England expects every man 10 do
his duty"
These sections comprise a selection ~
sentences for the use of vessels meeting az
sea, few general Inquiries and answers
such as would most probably be required.
attention or demand signals; danger or dis
lress; leaks and accidents; communjca-
tons; news; shipping phrases: regarding