Evening star., 1918-01-10
SIGNALS AND VOICES.
0NA1lANIlC.F[EET.
Every Vessel Has Method Of
Communicating and Civ
ing Orders.
"PIPING" is INTERESTING

(The following is the twelfth of a Sc
ries of thirteen articles written by Mrs
McClary, who spent number of days
with the Atlantic f1eet.)
One night, little after 10 o'clock, at
which hour all the lights OF the fleet
were out, there was a discharge Of a
small gun. The sound was repeated
severl times. I heard hurrying steps on
the deck above. voices Of command, and
it all sounded most thrilling. Were we
attacked by a submarine or what? In
the excitement I forgot my fear.
started to find the colonel of the
marines to learn what was the mat
ter. The passages were quiet and not
a soul was about but the men on watch.
Footsteps and voices came from above.
/ asked one blue-eyed marine who stood
outside the admiral's cabin what it was
all about. He informed me in calming
about, "A distress signal from a small
boat The relief boats had already
gone.
The next morning I saw the smoke
stack OF coal-burning launch-all
that there was to warn off passing gigs
and barges that one of their own
KIND had gone down in the middle of
the waterway the night before. Two
small boats had coflided and the ram
med one had sunk in a few seconds. but
there were no fatalities or accidents
during the day the sunken boat was
raised and put into the repair yard
sometimes the signal of accident Is a
foghorn call. but more often it is the
nr1ng of gun. Relief is sent at once,
OF course, as 1t is when the bell sounds
for Man overboard,"
Voices of the Fleet.
Each day I spent with the Atlantic
fleet 1 discovered new voices of that
gray, grim line, armored world. 1.
who was used to living where the hu-,
man voice, the telephone, the teIe-
gram and an occasional radioeram IA
cilltate the joys and sorrows and the
extravaSances of this modern age. had
my eyes opened and my ears keenlv
attuned to the many voices of the
feet
AT every base the fleet has its own
tele esfaph station, and little boats which
carry kilograms from that station to-
the ships. If the ships are at sea and
me telegram is urgent the message is
photographed to that ship, otherwise
1t is delivered by boat when the ship
once more lies at anchor.
of course. every ship carries a high
powered wireless outfit. And 1t has
its signal deck, where the semaphore
system of signals is used from day
light to darkness and sometimes after
dark by means of lights. Then there
are the two little lights which twinkle
and flash until it is hard to distinguish
them from the stars above. And the
searchlfght talks for the feet as well
as keeps watchful eye on the waters
about.
Firing of guns from ships in distress
seemed to be the nights voice. for
help" though I was told rockets are
sometimes sent up or big lights burn
ed
"Piped" Aboard Ship.
On the ships themselves tho voices are
loud and noisy, except the little pipe
which plays SO important a part in
every formal ceremony, as well as
L had heard of being "piped" aboard,
and I was most anxious to see the stunt
done and to hear the pipe.
For several days I said nothing. but
waited During those days I boarded
and left ships with admirals. rear ad-
mirals, my marine colonel and the
commanding officers of the ships, but
never piping did We receive, as far as
could hear. To be sure, different
numbers of the crew stood at attention
way as We came aboard. 1t depended on
the officers rank. The third day /
asked the colonel why I wasn't in on
the piping, and he assured me in hurt
tones that had been piped to the tune
of a mere colonel and to the tune of the
commanding officer of the fleet.
'Piped! How? Where were the
pipes?" I gasped.
The man who pipes stands back of
the side boys" he informed me. He
as his hand, while the side boys stand
at attention"
I believed the colonel. but 1 listened
unsuccessfully to hear the notes of that
little wind horn made Of a nickel-look-
ing> material. Only once did 1 manage
to hear its voice. faint and not un-
pleasing. but far from musical
The pipe Is used by the petty officers
for many other things. It has humber
duties than piping men of rank aboard.
are piped up on deck for airing, they
are later piped below, they are piped
up on hooks at night. The pipe Is used
frequently. but don't understand how
those boys hear it. They must possess
a sixth sense, which they acquire when
they become part of the ships crew.
The bugle. noisy instrument of tor
ture, announces all sorts of things.
gives all kinds of orders. Day and
night its horrid tones are heard Only
does it grow sweet and kind in ex-
preston, and in the morning reveilIe
is joyful, happy sound.
The Bells Of the Ship.
The ships bell sounds the hours.
Every thirty minutes it strikes, and be-
fore I left I had learned that one bell !
was half-past l. at noon: two bells. / |
o clock: three bells, 1:30; four bells. |
: o'clock: five bells. 2:3o: six bells. 3:
seven bells. $50. and eight bells. 4 |
o'clock Then it begins all over again. !
This makes eight bells come again at |
; o'clock. at II o'clock midnight. and |
8 in the morning and II noon. 1t may
be good system. but don't care for !
it. If one oversight and the day were |!
lark. how could he tell which part (
of the day the bells were ringing for? /
1 have no doubt there were many !
voices / did not see or hear. In the |
confusion Of the new life it took me |
some time to discover that pennants |
swung from the various ships an |
who was in command on the |
ship, whether the commanding officer |
vas away or on board. Pennants also |
announce when the men are at mess. |
when church services are being held |
md voices the other activities of the |
ship to the sister ships. The church |
was foated during services |