KEY TO

SOCIAL HOURS

SIGNALS AND CODES.

HOME GULTURE

TEST EXERCISES.

1. Signals are the means of transmitting intelligence a long or short distance by the agency of sight or hearing. The most useful medium yet known is the electric current.

2. A collection, system or digest of laws, regulating the use of signs and signals in commercial or military service.

3. General A. J. Myer, U. S. A. They are made by the motion of flags by day and torches by night. By their use a communication of words or characters in any language, may be transmitted, as far as one man can see another with the telescope; fifteen to twenty miles.

4. The signalman holds the staff upright, and facing the point of communication dips the flag to the right; this represents 1; to the left, 2; in front, 3. All the letters of the alphabet are made up by combinations of 1 and 2. Number 3 is only used to denote the end of the word, and when repeated, the end of a sentence or message.

5. The electric telegraph. The service is equipped with light field telegraph lines, and can run out two or three miles per hour, connecting different divisions of the army, or can signal war vessels and fleets.

6. It is comprised of two volumes, General and Tactical. The first contains nearly 7,000 words and sentences, arranged alphabetically and numbered. The latter relates to fleets and squadrons. Messages are communicated by combinations of signal flags, representing the eighteen consonants, or letters. Night signals are made by colored lights in place of the colored flags by day.

7. The universal language or system, adopted by the maritime world; each nation, in its own language, having a signal book, common to all. 8. Fog signals are made by sounding bells and gongs, blowing steamwhistles, horns, and firing guns. The steam fog-horn, or trumpet, is the most effective.

9. Light-houses are marked upon the mariner's charts, and their location is understood by navigators, as the light displayed is steady, revolving, double, flash or colored. Light-ships, also floating, gas, whistling, bell, and spar buoys of various colors are employed to warn vessels of danger, or direct their course in channels and shoal water.

10. At Hellgate, New York, 250 feet high; had nine electric lamps, each of 6,000 candle power. The Bartholdi Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, will be 220 feet. Cape Hatteras light, 189 feet. The highest in Europe is at Genoa, Italy, 218 feet. The Eddystone, England, 85 feet.

11. Stations situated on the sea-coast, and connected by telegraph. By cautionary signals, they render valuable aid in foretelling the approach of a storm, and also furnish assistance to vessels in distress.

SCENE AT A LIFE SAVING STATION ON THE SEA-COAST.

12. By the aid of signal corps and the telegraph, changes in the weather, temperature, wind, etc., are indicated twenty-four hours or more in advance. Reports from stations in all parts of the country are received by telegraph at Washington, morning, evening and midnight; and by the aid of storm charts, or weather maps, the movements of a storm over the continent may be predicted. These deductions are furnished by the Associated Press, and telegraphed at 1 o'clock A.M. from Washington to seventythree stations, and are also posted in business centres over the continent.

13. The "Farmer's Bulletin," made up at the chief Signal Office at Washington, is transmitted to the most prominent stations at 1 A.M. and 10.30 A.M., and by aid of the War and Post Office Departments, they are printed and sent out gratuitously to the agricultural centres. From the New York station, over 700 are sent out by each morning's mail.

14. They are a combination of dots and dashes used as a system of sig nals, by means of electricity, as follows:-15 to 57.

58. A systematic arrangement of signs to represent the sounds of the voice. Stenography employs abbreviations and arbitrary characters more extensively in representing words and phrases.

59. The conveyance of ideas by manual signs. The signs can be made by one or by both hands.

60. With flags, white, red and green by day; and white, red and green lights at night. Steam-whistles serve as signals by day and night.

61. A white flag by day, or a white light by night, displayed on the track or at a station, signifies "all right." A red flag by day, or a red light by night, signifies "danger." Both colors displayed at the same time, or a green light, signifies "caution." A light swung over the head at night signifies "stop." A motion across the track, "go ahead." Hoisted up and down, "back the train."

62. One whistle signifies "stop the train." Two, "go ahead." Three, "back the train." Four, "switch the train." Short whistles in succession mean "clear the track."

63. By the "Block" system, each signal station is in direct telegraphic communication with the nearest signal station, both up and down the line, and a train is not allowed to pass any signal station until the train immediately preceding it has started from the next station in advance.

64. Under this system, only one signal can be lowered, namely, that which corresponds to the line, which signal he is compelled, before he can alter the position of the switches, to return to "danger."

65. Torpedoes, placed upon the track and exploded by the approaching train.

66. By the sense of touch or feeling, on raised letters or characters. 67. To note distinction in rank or office, as the Army and Navy, Fire and Police, and in recognition of membership in social or political associations.