Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-26
WONDERFUL
Wireless
Continued from page 81

(COuCluueu from page ..
which are without electric light
plants and on launches and other
small boats which are sent out on
expeditions.
The French Ardois system is also
used pretty generally for night work.
1t consists of four double red and
white lights, six to eight feet apart,
attached to a stay at the masthead,
and they are flashed in combinations
that can be read by a code.
A blinking light is often used by
torpedo boats and other small craft
to signal by flashes from the mast
head. The Morse code is used as in
telegraphy. The long flash is a dash
and short flash is a dot. Sailors
can also talk by means of lanterns
with shutters, which can be opened
and closed with long and short
| flashes for expressing the Morse
code. The searchlight of vessel is
often used for long-distance signal
| ing by the use of a shutter, and also
| by writing messages in dots and
dashes on the clouds. The steam
whistle is of course available for
every sort of floating craft, and the
Morse code can be communicated by
that.
The most ancient method of COM
municating in daylight at sea is by
combinations of colored bunting,
which can be read from an interna-
tional code book carried by all ships,
merchant as well as naval. That may
be called the universal language of
the sea. It dates back to the early
history of navigation. Nobody knows
when signaling by flags was invent
ed. All the famous sea fighters of
history have communicated with
their fleets in that way for centuries,
and, indeed, until recently, it was the
only means of communication. Each
navy has it's own special secret code
in addition to the international code.
4 'Wig-wagging" is a modern inven-
ton. 1t was adopted after the inven-
4 tion of the telegraph and is the
Morse code conveyed by motions in
stead of sounds or lights. A stroke
to the right means dot, stroke to
l 4
front is the end of a word Nearly
every sailor in the navy can use wig
wag with his hat or his handkerchief
or with any other object that will at
tract attention. The morning after
the fleet started on it's long cruise a
pathetic story was telegrapher from
Old Point Comfort about several sail
ors standing on the dock and on the
| parapet at Fort Monroe, frantically
wig-wagging with their caps and
handkerchiefs to the battle ships as
they passed out to sea. They had ov-
erstayed their shore leave or had
| been detained beyond the hour Of
sailing and begged the commanders
of their ships to slow down and SEND
boats back for them.
Wig -wagging at night is done with
a torch or an electric light bulb a
the end of stick, and it is used con
stantly = more generally than any
other form of signaling in the navy
The English navy uses the soma
phore more than any other system O.
signaling-a mechanical affair will
two arms like cross, which ar,
worked up and down according tt
the Morse code, and can be used a
night with electric lights. Soma
phore signals are visible a longe
distance than wagging, but the.
cannot be given anywhere but from
a fixed place.
There are various other methods O
communication at sea, but, accordin.
to the judgments of the experts, tn
wireless telephone will ultimatel,
supersede them all.
WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
E