Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-10-01
THE ATLANTIC LINERS
Signs Signals and Flags Used by
the Various Companies.
coL0RS'oF THE BIG TUNNELS

In Some. Cases They Are Very Much
Alike hut the Night Lights Used b,
the Vessels Of the Different Line,
Are Quite Distinctive.
1t Is said that but comparatively few
OF the many thousands OF persons that
each year patronize the various line,
OF steamships crossing the Atlanti, !:
are familiar with the various distip-
gushing signs and signals employed by
the vessels OF the respective comma
mics. Yet IL Is very easy thing to
tell ut glance to what line any given
ship belongs-the American line, for
instance.
About all that one must remember I'm
the case OF the vessels OF our own line
Is that the tunnels are black. each with
Its white band. When you see an At
lantic liner ut night with blue light
forward. red light amidships and n
blue light aft You know at once tina (
she Is OF the American Ice.
All Cunarders show a red funnel
with black rings and a black top.
while the night signals consist Of n
blue light aud two roman candles.
each throwing out six blue balls.
There are but two of the leading
transatlantic lines the ships Of which
carry cream colored Hummelshine, North
German Lloyd and the Holland-Amer-
lea lines. The first employs perfect
ly plain funnel without any other
color than cream. and the latter shows
cream funnel with white band and
green borders. Signals displayed at
night by these lines are. In the case OF
the North German Lloyd, two blue red
lights. one forward and one aft. and. In
the case OF the Holland America line. n
green light forward and aft. with a
white light under the bridge,
Two lines use bun tunnels. the White
Star aud the Hamburg-American. the
difference between the two being that.
while the former shows u black top
the latter Is plain bun throughout.
White Star night signals nre two green
lights flashed simultaneously.
Quite a number OF lines carry black
Hummelshine, American with white
band. as mentioned above: the Anchor.
which Is entirely black; the Bristol.
with variegated and fancy touch. the
black smokestack being relieved by a
white band IN the center and n blue
star In the middle OF the white band.
In the regular service OF the HamhurC-
American line. as distinguished from
the express service. we ind that the
color Is plain black, while the Rel
Star Is black with a white band and
q black top.
Tho Gen ndfraO vi, n 81
Wilson lines have red and black fun.
nels, black In the first case with n red
top and red funnel with n black top
In the second.
The red funnel OF the French line
has black top similar TO the tunnels
OF other lines, but with different prp-
portions OF color. On this line the
night signals are blue light forward.
white light amidships and rel
light aft. forming the French trlcolor.
At night the Anchor line OF vessels
shows white light. then red. The
Bristol displays green light only.
The Hamburg American ships for bot
services. regular and express. show
two red-white-blue lights In quick sue
cession at the stern. The Red Star
displays three red lights. one forward.
one aft and one amidships, all flashed
together. The Scandinavian line EN-
ploys one whlte-red. followed by one
red-white light. and the Wilson puts
out two red lights about sixty feet
apart.
IL Will be observed from the fore
going that the night signals OF all the
different lines vary. while the tunnels
In some cases are very sia.iar This.
however. does not lead Ia confusion.
for In determining the I've to whI.h
vessel belongs one must also take
into consideration the flag or pennant
she dies Every line. OF course. car
ries n different house flag as Il Is
called.
The dag OF the Cunard line Is red
with golden lion In the center. whIla
that OF the White Star vessels Is OF
the same color. but swallowtail In
shape and containing white star.
The house dag OF the Red Star line Is
exactly the same as that OF the White
Star company with the colors reversed
flag white. star red
The flag OF the Hamburg A merlcan
line Is an. elaborate nffair-whlte and
blue diagonally Quartered with black
anchor and yellow shield In the CEN
ter. The North German Lloyd dag Is
handsome one. showing n design of
a Key and an anchor crossed In the
center Of laurel wreath In blue on "a
white field.
The Atlantic Transport line files
pretty Tag OF red. white and blue hori-
zontal bars. with stars. Edwin Tor
risse In Cincinnati Commercial Trib-