"S.O.S."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 8, 21 February 1924, Page 51

"5.0.5."

THE TRUE STORY OE THE DISTRESS GALL. J’V ;i What do the letters 5.0.5., used by ships at sea as a distress call, stand for? The answer is given by Jack Binns, in the New York Tribune. It is simple, but in view of the general aptitude to assign a catch phrase to any arbitrary group of letters, a simple answer will not suffice the average person. In this case, we are told, the letters - are associated with the cry “Save Our Souls!” so far as the public is concerned, while the call C.Q.D., which it super- , seded, meant “Come Quick, Danger!” to the layman. Says ■ Mr. Binns, as quoted in The Radio World (New York): “As a matter of cold fact, neither of these two phrases is correct. Unfortunately, it is the truth that both group : of letters were adopted as a matter of expediency, and not because of their peculiar susceptibility to dramatic interpretation. The original C.Q.D. was arrived at by the ordinary process of evolution in the detail work of communication, while S.O.S. was an arbitrary adoption of 'Vthe first international radio telegraph convention. “The story of the distress call has never been adequately told, and in view of the large number of questions that have been raised on the point, I am going to outline in this article the history of the famous calls. “When wireless telegraphy was first placed into commercial use the ordinary telegraph and cable system had been in operation several years and, had reached a high state of development. The operation of the latter systems was governed by an international convention which periodically laid down rules to meet necessary operating requirements. Among these rules was a series of double letter symbols which were used by operators to facilitate the working of special circuits, and these symbols invariably incorporated the letter Q because it is one of the least used letters in the alphabet, and in the continental code its dots and dashes are distinctive. In these various groups there was the signal C.Q. This was used on telegraph lines where more than one station was on the line, and it meant that the operator sending the call wanted every station along the line to listen in to what he was about to say. Now, most of these operating symbols were adopted by Marconi’s new company when it began commercial operation at sea in the year 1902. The call C.Q. particularly adapted itself to wireless use, because any ship hearing the call would answer and thus establish communication with the ship making the call. “As the system gradually developed there wore a number of minor emergency calls made and it was quickly observed that the call C.Q. was not of sufficient distinction for emergency purposes. As a result of these experiences, the following general order, known as Circular No. 07,’ was issued by the Marconi Company on January 7, 1904: “ ‘ It has been brought to our notice that the call C.Q. (all stations), while being satisfactory for general purposes, does not sufficiently express the urgency required in a signal of distress. >■ “ ‘ Therefore, on and after February 1, 1904, the call to be given by ships in distress or in any other way re- , quiring assistance, shall be “C.Q.D.” • “ ‘ This signal must on no account be used except by order of the captain of the ship in distress or other vessels or stations transmitting the signal on account of the ship in distress. “ ‘ All stations must recognise the urgency of this call and make every effort to establish satisfactory communication with the least possible delay. “ ‘ Any misuse of the call will result in instant dismissal of the person improperly employing it. ; “This is the exact wording of the famous general order as issued. The original is now framed, and exhibited as paid of the important archives of the Marconi Company. It was superseded in July, 1908, by the adoption of the call, 5.0.5., as a distress signal by the International RadioTelegraphic Convention. “The call S.O.S. is purely arbitrary in its grouping of letters, and was chosen because of the unusual combina-

tions of dots and dashes which make it distinctive above all other calls. It consists of three dots, space, three dashes, space and three more dots."