WARNING SHIPS AT SEA.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14985, 4 June 1914, Page 11

WARNING SHIPS AT SEA.

» SUBMARINE SIGNALS. ; SUITABLE FOR THE THREE •' L KINGS. (SPECIAL T_ "nTE PBESS.") AUCKLAND, June 3. On board the White Star steamer Zealandio, which is now lying at the Auckland wharf, there is fitted a signalling apparatus which has a particular interest at the present moment when the question of the safety of ships at sea is so much discussed. The apparatus is the submarine signalling telephone, which is now one of the recognised methods of warning ships. It in a comparatively modern invention but is'pretty generally installed on the boats of the more important shipping lines. All the White S";ar boats are equipped, some of the Now Zealand Shippine Company's steamers have it. and it is also to be found on several ether vessels tradina to theso waters. Thero are one hundred and forty-eight land stations whence signals are sent, and of that number twenty-eight are in Great Britain. Signals are sent in three ways, from a bell suspended undo a lightship, from a bell fixed on a submerged tripod off a dangerous point on the coast, and from a bell attached to a buoy anchored off a danger point. These bolls are connected with pho.e stations in the two la*"t-named cases and in the case of the lightship to an nnpara+us on the t=hir> itself. It wi'l be rendiH- lindeTstcwy. .that by a fwt»rn of strokes on the bell and intervals between the strokes, on the same nrincip'o as the flashin* - -lights which.ar. now a common fer>inro of harbour and coist liVhts. the ide«t. + v. of any particular hr.l "an be To receive these si.<mal<. there is installed in the bow. of tho «. runner two metal fw cnifaiiinc f'veerine. one on each si do of the how. These cases are bnlte'l elnso up to f'e si'-fe of the'vwsel. and rfi-'eive the v'bratiV*->= that are sent oiu frr>T>. +hr» boll. ore connected plfytriea.ly w'-th a microphone on the brideco. and _H* has two receivers like those on an ordinary telephone. LOCATING A POSITION. Mr Howe, the chief officer of tho Zealand.c, ..howed a reporter this incr that, by switching, on to the caso on the starboard side or the port side of the ship, anyone listening at the receivers could pick un the sounds of the shore bell and tell on what side tho bow it was nearincj. These signal* are audible from three to five miles off. and their strength enables an experierced oPicer to cause hi-s distance from the bell whence they come. By manoeuvring the vessel so that the listener vets'the sound of equal strength r-v both bows, it is a simple matter to that the bell is de.id ahead. This srives the captain the bearing of tho snot pending the signals. The strokes and intervals stive' the identity of the bell, and the ship's position is fi-certained with absolute accuracy. It will be. of course, understood that th MT.te*n of submarine signalling is used in foggy weather or in other conc-itions which make a skipper doubtful of his whereabouts ' ' MUCH USED. The list of ships fitted with the submarine signalling apparatus is a long one, and each year sees some additions to it. Asked if it wero of much assistance, Mr Howe said . the Zealandic used it every voyage when off coasts whore shore or lightship signals were installed. As mentioned nbove, there are twenty-eight stations round the coast of Great Britain at such places as The Shambles, Tho Lizard, Morecombe Bay, Penzance, and other exposed spots. There aro many stations in Northern Europe, Canada, and America. ''. ■.

PICKING UP THE TENDER. •Mr Howe mentioned a very interesting instance of tho use to which the submarine system has been put at Cherbourg, the French port at which the North German and other' boats chll. There the German company's tender is fitted with a signalling system similar to that on a lightship. In foggy weather she goes out to meet the incoming steamer, which is able to pick her up with ease and transfer the passengers without loss of time in weather which would make it suicidal to go nosing into the port. Tho bearing of this, system on signalling as a means of locating the Three Kings is obvious. It would mean that ships trading to New Zealand would have to instal the system, which is so common in countries where they are more up-to-date—the number of ships fitted is about SCO— and it is, no doubt, only a matter of time when it will be adopted out. here.

A ■ CONSERVATIVE BOA RD.. The Board of Trade has adopted submarine rignalling as one of the means of warning ships, ard this may be considered as a very effective testimony to its use. The Board is notoriously a hard body to move, a fact which was cmphasircd at time of the Titanic disaster. As an instance of the difficulty of moving the Board of Trade to adopt new ideas, Mr Howe mentioned tho case of plugs in boats. A missing plug has on many ccca-ions caused loss of life. It is about the last thing anyono thinks about until it is too lato. Mr Howe hit on a plan for an automatic plug, a ball being held automatically over the plug hole by the pressure of water on the outside of the bnat, and although it has . been endorsed by raanv competent builders, the Board of Trade will not budge an inch. A trial of tho idea is now being made at the Norwegian dockva'rds.