Evening star., 1908-01-11

eacn or the DattleSnlpS, WnerS one OF
more operators are always on duty with
the receivers attached to their ears. There
is good deal of nervous strain anu the
men are relieved frequently. Under or
binary circumstances the operators send
and receive the messages which are
written out in lcnghand. but the admiral
and the captains can converse through
the transmitters and receivers just as
well as the operators. and often do. -Ad-
miral Evans is practical man and his
bump of inquisitiveneSs Is quite well de-
veloped. He likes to try it himself and
can use the wireless telephone as well
as anybody. Communication is almost
continuous. Conversations are going on
night and day between the officers and
the operators on the different ships. for
this is the first practical trial Of the
system and the results will be of in
calculable Importance to the entire world.
Commander Cleland Davis of the bureau
of equipment predicts that wireless tele
phones will be universally used at sea
within few years. and that lighthouses
and life-saving stations and other points
on shore will be equipped with them.
Submarine Signals.
The submarine signal system is a half
sister to the wireless telegram and pro-
viGes for the exchange of communications
under water instead of through the air.
Everybody who went in swimming as a
Wy ICLlcMpcIS TIE SSHSd-sON DTOuuCcu
upon his aural nerve when one of lis
companions struck a couple of stones to-
gether under the water. The sound of
contact was much more distinct than 1t
would have been In the air and thu sub
marine signal apparatus is development
of that simple principle of physics. Upon
the bottom of each of the four fagships
OF the four snuadrOnS and upon the tor
pedo boats. about halfway between the
water.ine and the keel, the submarine
fS nd fEn
ator within the hull of the ship can hear
distinctly any sound that is made under
the water for radius of several miles.
HE can also communicate In the sams way
by the use of ordinary telegraphic inStru-
ments and the Morse code of dots and
dashes which is universally known among
the signal men of the navy. The subma-
rine signals are of a special value il time
of war because they enable ships to de-
tect the approach, of torpedo boats and
other vessels. In time of fog and storm
the sound of surf beating upon a shore
or rock can be distinctly heard under
water when 1t would be swallowed uo by
th3 fury Of the gale above water. In
many other respects the submarine sig
mails are also valuable.
There are many methods of communica-
tion by sea and upon every man-of-war
In charge of the auartermaster there is
such matters. Every flagship has a sig
nal officer: every sailor in he navy is
instructed In the art Of signalling. but of
course they are not all equally proficient.
To be a coxswain or auartermaster a
mSh must be proficient in signaling and
there are always a large number of men
who are competent TO convey orders in
that way.
Signaling With Lights.
The Very signals. invented by Lieut.. E.
". Very. graduate of Annapolis, who
roSipno6
manufacture of his invention, consist Of
red and green lights fired from a pistol
and they may be seen for several miles,
The lights are arranged In combinations
SO that they can be read like similar COM
binations of colors In flags in daylight.
Every ship carries the Very signals but
nowadays they are seldom used except on
vessels which are without electric light
plants and on launches ard other small
boats which are sent out on expeditions.
The French Ardois system is also used
pretty generally for night work. 1t con-
sists 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
blinking light" is often used by tor
pedO boats and other small craft to sig
nal by flashes from the masthead. The
Morse code is used IS in telegraphy The
long flash Is a dash and short flash is
dot. Sailors can also talk by means of
sohlVt uS With shutters winch be
opened and closed with long and short
fashes. expressing the Morse code. The
searchlight OF a vessel is often used for
lOns-distance signaling 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.
Signal Flags and Wig-Wagging.
The most ancient method Of communi-
eating in daylight at sea is by combina-
ticn Of colored bunting which can be read
from an international code book carried
by all ships. merchant as well as naval.
That may be called the universal lam
guage Of the sea. It dates back to the
early history of navigation. Nobody
knows when signaling by flags was in
vented. All the famous sea-fighters of
history have communicated with their
fleets in that way for centuries. and. in
deed until recently. it was the only
means of communication. Each navy has
it's own special secret code in addition to
the International code.
"Wig-waggin2' is modern invention
1t was adopted after the invention of the
telegraph. and is the Morse code conveyed
by motions. instead of sounds or lights.
A stroke to the right means a dot.
stroke to the left dash. and stroke to
the 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 attract atten-
tion. The morning after the fleet started
on its long cruise a pathetic story was
telegraphed from Old Point Comfort about
several sailors standing on the dock and
on the parapet at Fort Monroe, frantical-
~ wig -wagging with their caps and hand
kerchiefs to the battleships as they passed
out to sea. They had overstayed their
shore leave. or had been detained beyond
the hour of sailing and begged the com
manders 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 at the end
of a stick, and it is used constantly
more generally than any other form of
signaling in the navy.
The English navy uses the semaphore
more than any other system of signaling
a mechanical affair with two arms like
cross. which are worked up and down
according to the Morse code. and can be
used at night with electric lights. Sema-
phore signals are visible a longer dis
tance than wig-wagging, but they cannot
be given anywhere but from a fixed place.
There are various other methods of COM
munication at sea- but. according to the
judgments of the experts, the wireless
telephone will ultimately supersede them
all.
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T An Unusual !