The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-18
Means Of Communication Used By
the WapShipS.
FLAGS AND LIGHTS BEST
Importance Of Department - Careful Guarding
Of the Secret Codes-Growth
of Systems.

In naval battle, the success or fail
ure Of fleet may depend on keeping
open communication between the diff
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
which the flagship can communicate
with the other vessels of a 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 experiments
with telephone which, it is said, can
be used without wires, by which sig
mails can be projected by a vibrator on
one vessel against receiver on anoth-
er The Navy Department, says the
New York Sun, is keeping the details
of this new system carefully to itself,
as it desires to have the invention for
the exclusive use of American ships in
battle
The present method of communica-
ton is by the use of flags representing
numerals, which are displayed in the
rigging; by the use of the Ardois sys-
tenn of lights for night work; by the
Myer code of Wigwag signals, and by
the use of the Photograph. AS 1t is OF
the utmost Importance that the enemy
should not read the message, the signal
books on board a vessel are protected
\ l. oct 6ns
ed along with the cipher code whenever
it is seen that capture is inevitable
The semaphore system in use in the
British Navy was tried for a time
aboard American vessels, but it never
became popular, and has been aban-
doned
In signalling by the navy code the
sentence to be sent is looked up in the
code book and its corresponding num-
Der is obtained. 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 quartermaster in
charge of the signal chest proceeds to
bend the flags representing the hume
rails to the signal halliards, SO as to
read from the top down. These flags
represent the numerals from 1 to 8
u.
nant termed a repeater, which is used
in a combination 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 necessary to
frame an order, make an inquiry, in
dictate a geographical position, or sig
nal a compass course. Answering, in
terrogatOry, preparatory, and geogra-
phical pennants form part of this code;
also telegraph. danger despatch, and
quarantine flags.
The signal. having been prepared, is
hoisted and left flying until the vessel
10 which the message has been sent
signifies that it is understood by hoist
ing what is called the answering pen
nant. If the number hOisted by the
flagship is a preparatory order for
fleet movement it is left flying until
all the vessels of the fleet have an
swered and then is pulled down, the
act of pulling the signal down being
understood as the command for the
execution of the movement just COM
municated.
It is often necessary for a man-of-
war to communicate with a merchant
vessel or with some other warship be-
longing to a foreign country. For this
purpose the international code is also
carried in the signal, chest. The sig
mails are those in general use by all the
merchant navies OF the world for COM
munication by day at sea. There are
eighteen flags and a code pennant, cor
responding to consOnants of the alpha
bet, emitting X and Z. The code pen
nant is always used with these signals.
If a message is to be sent at night
the ArdOis system of night signals,
with which all United States vessels
carrying an electric plant are fitted, is
employed. These signals consist, es-
sentially. of five groups of double
lamps, the two lamps in each group
containing incandescent electric lamps,
and showing white and red respective
ly. BY the combination Of these lights
letters can be formed. and so letter by
letter a word and thence an order can
he spelled out for the guidance of the
ships Of squadron. These lamps are
suspended on a stay in the rigging,
and are worked by a keyboard from
the upper bridge.
On the smaller ships Of the service.
those which are not fitted with electric
lighting, Nery's night signals are used.
This set includes the implements for
firing and recharging the signals. The
latter show as green and red stars on
being projected from the pistols made
for them. The combination Of red and
green in various ways is used 10 eX-
press the numbers from TO and 0,
so that the numbers. to four digits,
contained in the signal book, may be
displayed.
The Meyer wigwag system is en-
n1oypd either by day or by night. Flags
and torches are employed. The official
flag is a red field with a small white
square in the center; the unofficial
flag is the same with the colors re-
versed. The operator, having attracted
the attention of the ship which IS to be
sfgnalled by waving the Tag or loren
from RIGHT 10 left. transmits his mes