New-York tribune., 1906-09-30

To link az Mrs Anna F. Coston as she sits at
her desk IN her little Office in Water street one
would never guess that she is an inventor anu anu
manufacturer OF grim so unfeminine' so I'M
plicitly tragic a commodity OF merchandise as as
tress signals for use at sea-signals OF such con-
spicuous excellence too that they have been ADOPTED
by the army and navy, the revenue service ana the
Iifesaving and Lighthouse bureaus, besides being
approved and recommended by the Department OF
Commerce and Labor. With her fresh complexion
Laughing blue eyes, carefully Marcelled poipaoour
and dainty lingerie waist, Mrs. Coston might pe
anything on earth sooner than the head OF a com
,erc,al enterprise and the inventor Of signal that
goes wherever sails spread and steam drNeS on tne
waters OF the navigable globe
.sT was horn and educated right here in New
York" said Mrs. Coston- LAS girl dld a gooo
deaf with chemistry and later worked at II with
a tutor in Germany. After my marriage my nus
bsnd's moor health made it desirable that should
taniiarize myself with the details Of marine signal
1nanufaoture ana when in 1901 he died as the result
of an accident in his laboratory was able to step
snto his place. The Coston signal-the red hare'
plrning more than a minute on shore-had been in
use by the United States Lifesaying Service eyer
Sroorgbt 10 nv mind the necessity of adapting It
70 the uses Of distress signal for use by sLips at
sea was the disaster 10 the Bourgogne when her
Nfeboats were out three nights, unable 10 slshai
any passing vessel
NIGHT SIGNALS AT SEA.
"I consider the development Of our distress outfit
my most important work. All passenger steam
steamers and merchant ships compelled TO
carry it by order OF the Board Of Supervising In
spectors. -.
Il have also invented telegraphic code OF night
signals that has been adopted and is in use by me
United States Weather Bureau and the army sig
nal and transport services. Carrying out my nus
band's work. developed a code Of steamship night
signals which the companies have registered az
Washington the their funnel marks ana
private flags. The constitute In part the brands
trade marks OF the various concerns and are
guarded with the utmost jealousy
To Mrs. COstOn the Spanish-American War
brought a period of intense activity, for her firm
received the government contract 20 equip with
distress signals all the transports leaving New
York and San Francisco. No less than twenty
three or twenty-fOur transports sailed from New
York waters alone and for months Mrs. Coston
practically lved aboard the ships, inspecting their
etocks Of signals their lifeboats and lfesaving ap
paratus and installing distress signals and other
supplies Every detail was left TO her judgment,
the orders from the government consisting In
many cases merely Of the name Of transport
seribbled sheet OF paper as an announcement
that she was in port.
After finishing her work for the government in
New York Mrs. C0ston went 10 San Francisco
where she spent six months in similar duties.
Meanwhile, down at Bulls Head, Staten Island
the Coston laboratory and factory feeling the
impetus OF
1--WE had 10 work double time" SAID Mrs Coston
s'ano, as always happens when We rushed with