CODE SIGNALLING.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10703, 9 July 1900, Page 6

CODE SIGNALLING.

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS 1 For tho last thirteen years the Britii_ ft Board of Trade has boon preparing « _.* §j code of international signals. Dr. \Vo!ia.i_i B secretary for Victorian Customs, who hil B given (says the "Argus") a good: deal of .j. & tention to tms matter, states that it _-_| W come into use on t*he> Ist January ni*xt, a r ,_ 1 until tho end of 1901 it will be eniploycd coii- j§ currently with the old code, after w_u:a j- % will be used exclusively. When signal.'jj-p fl during 1901 the fact thai tho new code v If being used will be indicated by the fl\ g of the code pennant tied to the luilycttl. § having above it a black ball, or what 1 sembles a black ball. , .13

M_-iy important improvements have befn, P mado in tho new code, the principal _< i which- is that all the twenty-sis letters <_ R the alphabet aro represented, whereas only \ *3 certain nuunber aro now used. Many of tha I. more important signals, which formerly re- li quired three flags, will, Dr. Wollaston aay s , E be made with two, and all the old four-__. g signals, excluding names of places and ships, B will bo mado by two or three flag B while a largo number of new signals, rnadg |t by hoists of not more than three flagq, han 6 been included. The abolition of four-flaj .-j. II nnls tends to greater accuracy in 'signalling, fe for every flag added to a signal iucreaa?s tha f§ risk of mistake in "bonding on" or readir- M off the flags. ' || A new system of signalling; by means of P ball,-square flags an dpenn-ants Tu*3 bwi m- |J .roduced, and in the .now codo particulars will M be given for signalling by moveable sen*.- E phores, semaphoring by hand flags, ugnaUii*-- g in tho Morse code by flashes of light, blasts 8 of sound, and by flag waving. Moat of tl« ft foreign maritime powers have expressed their a approval of the new code. || As examples of the new method of signal, If ling, tho following may be quoted:—"'ls mi M declared ?" will be expr*is3**d by two Aug?, B V and W. "Keep a goad look-out, us it » It re-ported enemy's war vessels aro s*oiug ab-B% t § in disguise of niorchuntmon;" will ■-.1.-o la « conveyed by two flags, O and J in tiio ne-.?'lk alphabet. But it takc-3 no fewer than four m to interpret the name of "G'eelonii." n 1* therefore one of tli3 most important ia tit f; code. This pleasing fact is, however, -.Don- X what discounted by tha constitution of tbt f? eigual, which consists, of "A," white u-.ul l.!i* |jj flng; "R," red with yellow cress; ''.'," ic'iir; i and red diagonal' stripes, and "Q," nil v'ello*-, § Seeing that yellow is the quarantin. il„, I the predominant, colours oi the siaii.tl iu*i g not bo altogether Rutis-faotory to the eitism* k of Geelong*. .Two, flags remgsent ev.-rv pu*- I bcr from ouo to five'.millioris, ;uid li.irt.uw S and decimals may also .be signalled. 1