SUBMARINE SIGNALLING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 132, 27 July 1911, Page 6

SUBMARINE SIGNALLING.

■ It is not generally known that three cf the big steamers trading between London and New Zealand ports are .fitted with the submarine signal apparatus, one of the simplest and yet ■most pvoiidciful of the many appliances'for' securing additional sefety in the..navigation of ships. The vessels are the White Star liners lonic, Athenic, and Corinthic. On Thursday a representative of the Christchurch “Press” had explained to him the submarine signal apparatus on board the Corinthic at Lyttelton. According to the chief officer of the Corinthic the only two submarine signal stations in the Southern Hemisphere were at .English Bank (.Rio de la Plata, at the entrance to Monte Video)

and tit J?.io tie Janeiro. There are three systems of submarine signalling, namely, electiic tripod, lightship and bell-hnoy. The first-mention-ed consists of a large steel or iron tripod placed i on ‘the sea bottom near a .lighthouse or harbour entrance. A large Specially-designed hell is suspended from this tripod and the striking mechanism is controlled from the shore station by electricity. The second system consists in the suspension of a submarine hell from the hull of the lightship, the striking or ringing of the hell being controlled, in most eases, pneumatically. In the third, system, that of the hell-bnoy, the submarine hell is attached to the buoy and is “rung” by the motion of the waves. Every station lias a code of signals, by means of which the navigator knows instantly which point lie is approaching. It is when a steamer is nearing land e.r is steaming along the coast in thick weather, and lighthouses, lightships, or headlands are obscured, that the submarine signal apparatus is of immense value to the navigator. The officer remarked to the reporter that submarine hell signal stations on the New Zealand coast would he of the greatest possible value to steamers fitted with receiving apparatus. Once the Gov-

ernmont or liari)ouv authorities decided to establish submarine boll signal stations on the New Zealand coast and at harbour entiauees, it would be a very short time before every-steam-er was fitted with the receiving apparatus.