Evening star., 1926-08-19
RESERv|STS REACH
NAVAL WAR ZONE
D. c. Contingent Aboard Al.
len Joins Scouting Fleet
Off Block Island.

Special Dispatch to The star.
NEW PORT. r. l.. August 70
Bearing Naval ReSerNists from the
District Of columbia and the entire
Atlantic sea board. 80 destroXefs OF the
Atlantic scouting fleet have reached
them practice and ma nruNrr grounds
I'm the vicinity of Block Island, and
were husilv engaged today scouting
an ina einary enemy that Is supposed
TO he approaching Long Island Sound.
The force, under command OF Rear
Admiral Noble Irwin. has divided into
two Squadrons under the command ol
Capt. Arthur l.. Fairfield and capt.
John G. Fremont The destroyer Al
len. manned hy rescrVists from Wash
ington and Baltimore. and the JN.
with crew OF New York reSerNists,
are operating indepr ndentlN. being en-
gagged in RAPID ship nlaneuverS. Gun
DRILL and communications practice.
Keeping Close Contact.
Of All the modern arts the reS-rViStS s
have learned since they boarded their
feet little memo war. none has proved
SO fascinating as the numerous and
varied means through which one ship
may carry on n conversation with an
other. The Navy. they have disc"v.
cred. has at least Il dozen voices with
Wnl''n u keep It's various UNITS IN con
slant communication.
ON board of course, messages are
carried from one part of II ship to
another by word Of mouth or by tele-
phone. An instrument on the bridge,
they have found. will communicate at
the 50 me- minute with every part of
the ship. BELLS offer another form OF
communication OH board. But il Is
when one ship talks to another that
science plays straight 10 the gal
leries.
Simplest Of all forms is the sena.
rhore and the popular wiswag Sys-
tenn with flags. These are for short
distances. Then. TOO, whole neSsa eeS
may be sent out over the sea by
merely running a strin. of flags up
20 the Nardarm. At night. or during
heavy fog, the sea- chlights blink mes
SaceS in the Morse code across the
heavens. which the Watchers on an
the officer on watch.
Radio Proves srfui
The radio. of course. offers the best
method for long distance communiCa
tion The radio phones, too. are used
70 surprising extent by the Navy.
the Recervists discovered. Speed cones,
run Np the mast, tell tith snip Slllul-
taneouSly what the other is making
in the matter of knots. The oSCillator.
however, provides the most mySteri-
ouS and most intriguing form of com
munication for the novice.
The oSCillator Is under water and
its voice travels beneath the waves.
The oscillator. when tapped. will send
z message by means of vibrations To
2 miCrOphOnp on the side of another
ship To the RrSerNlStS from the Dis
triCt. this method of communication
provides real excitement. The ReSerN-
lists have been taught all of these
methods since they began their cruise.
The rendezvous for the squadron
with which the Allen is identified is
GARDENERS Bay. The squadron showed
off" from New York Tuesday morn
inc and moved out 10 sea in scouting
formation. The sea was heavy and
as the slim destroyerS fecked the
sea spray from their Smudse se-colored
noses. the scene WAS reminiscent Of
tho stormy Winter Of 1917. when
these fighting midgetS steamed out
OF the same harbor esCorting troops
bound for the lines in Flanders.