Signals of Distress.

The Board of Trade give notice, that on and after the 1st of November, 1873, the following Signals shall, in accordance with the 18th section of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1873, be deemed to be Signals of Distress :—

"In the Daytime. The following Signals, numbered 1, 2, and 3, when used or displayed together or separately, shall be deemed to be Signals of Distress in the Daytime:—

"1. A gun fired at intervals of about a minute.

"2. The International Code Signal of Distress indicated by N. C.
"3. The Distant Signal, consisting of a square flag, having either
above or below it a ball, or anything resembling a ball.

"At Night. The following Signals, numbered 1, 2, and 3, when used or displayed together or separately, shall be deemed to be Signals of Distress at Night :

"1. A gun fired at intervals of about a minute.

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"2. Flames on the ship (as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, etc). "3. Rockets or shells of any colour or description, fired one at a time, at short intervals."

And "any Master of a vessel who uses or displays, or causes or permits any person under his authority to use or display any of the said signals, except in the case of a vessel being in distress, shall be liable to pay compensation for any labour undertaken, risk incurred, or loss sustained, in consequence of such signal having been supposed to be a signal of distress; and such compensation may without prejudice to any other remedy, be recovered in the same manner in which salvage is recoverable."

The Letters are used with Flags, and numbers with distant or Flashing Signals.

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The Letters are used with Flags, and numbers with distant or Flashing Signals.

FLASHING SIGNALS.

FLASHING Signals are made by the motion of any single object. In most instances the object is made to appear and disappear; and in others it is made to change its position, so that one position shall represent the appearance and the other the disappearance of the object. The symbols are determined by successive appearances and disappearances at regulated intervals, constantly recurring after a fixed pause.

The appearances of the object are termed FLASHES, and are of two lengths, termed "short" and "long" flashes, which are used in combination, to express the signs required, and are usually written thus: to express

the SHORT flash; to express the LONG flash; the interval of obscuration, or of the disappearance of the object, being left blank.

The long flash should be at least three times as long as the short one. The disappearances of the object are termed INTERVALS, and are of three lengths. That between the flashes composing a figure is equal in duration to a short flash; that between two figures is equal to a long flash; and that between any two repetitions of a signal is equal to one-third of the whole length of the signals, or from about seven to ten seconds.

At night those signals are made by the obscuration and exposure of a single light; in the daytime, by the different apparatus which may be employed.

At short distances no special apparatus is necessary, the simple waving of the arm with a hat, flag, handkerchief, etc., being sufficient.

The system is equally applicable in fogs; long and short sounds on a fog horn, bugle, or steam whistle, representing the long and short flashes.

In all cases the signals or combinations have the same signification, so that an observer, having learnt the use of one apparatus, can read and make signals with any other description of apparatus without further instruction. The following Tables exhibit the Signs necessary for use with this Code:

THE system has but two simple elements, called a dot and a dash, and these are combined in groups to make up the signals necessary to form an alphabet.

The dot is taken as a unit, and the dash represents three times the length of the dot. The interval between the elements forming a letter is equal to one unit. The pause between each complete sign, or letter, should be made equal to a dash, or three units.

At night these signals are in all cases made by the obscuration and exposure of a single light; in the daytime different apparatus may be used under the varying circumstances of service.

On the spelling sign being made the ship or ships addressed will show a steady light, obscuring it when the sense of the sentence is missed, in exactly the same manner as the semaphore answering pendant is dipped in the daytime.