SIGNALLING ARRIVALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 570, 27 July 1909, Page 6

SIGNALLING ARRIVALS.

HOW MOUNT VICTORIA TALKS,

IS THEM A BETTER SYSTEM?

Mr. J. U. llarKtifßS is not yet prepared to oiilighton U«i public nny furthor on,the question of' 'ti!iu signalling of vessels approaching Ui(! Heads. His reference to the iii«ttcr at tho mooting of tho Harbour Board Inst woclc excited cariosity, but curiosity must go for tho present unsatisfied. "Would" it not bo bettor," Jie asked on that occasion, "to consider tho revision of our whole system'of signalling? Could , we not do away with tho Mount Victoria station altogether? It was all right in tho days gom> by, but 1 believo our officers could dc- . vise somo very much butter means.of signalling to tho wholo town instead of keeping up this cxpensivo system." At this point Mr. Harkness was .ruled out of order, and he did not refor to; the niatter again. ■ When a Dominion .reporter discussed tho matter yesterday with some of ..tho harbour and shipping people, ho found a vory general; scepticism as to itho ; possibility of doing niiy. good by,abolishing the Mount Victoria signal, station/ What other, point, it was, ; asked', could be scon so well from tho water-front and other parts of tho city?' Beacon Hill, above Seatouu, whence tho,, approaching vessels are sighted and the" information signalled to Mount Victoria, is already connected with the harbour offices and the city''by. telephone, but'.the. public, by looking up' atj the summit, of Mount Victoria,, can -often' save. tho .trouble of 'ringing up tho. wharf.., ; . The. Harbour Board is considoriug tho question of connecting Beacon Hill and Mount Victoria .by telephone','.. and it .is possible that this; will bo done within the next mouth or two.' Some of the advantages to be derived from tliis-step wero _pomted out to the reporter yesterday.' in, the first, place, .the fogs, which occasionally hide' Beacon . Hill, so "" that the signals, hoisted there cannot . bo seen would not interfere with a telephone mes-, sage, and the system would thus.bo rendered more efficient. Then there would bo a sayiiig to the shipping companied, who are obliged to provide the two stations with .their, distinctive Jags. As' the flags do. iio.t/ last very long in. the strong .winds that: sweep over both the- heights in question, ■.; this item' is more important than many people might suppose. But the signalman 'on Mount Victoria will probably appreciate, the change as .much as anybody. From-5 a.m. until sundown'he must, be repeatedly,' and indeed almost-con-stantly, scanning the white mast at Beacon 'Hill , through his .telesqbpe. 'Otherwise -he may fail topass on the.news of. an. arrival'with .the required promptitude. ! If Beacon Hill'could'ring him-up, his task would be considerably lightened, v Hβ would 'not .need to watch. [.It would .be enough if he kept within hearing'of the telephone. •. The'repeating ;station at. Mount .Victoria and the system of. signalling worked through it.have beeri'in operation for a 'great many years, and a large, number/of, the /towns- , , ppople know enough about it.to.rcad sorne of the. commonest, .signals. :'fliey ,know;.:';that. .when, a black ball, appears at ;the masthead,! the Lyttelton ferry/boat, or. some other Union .Company, steamer .from the' same direction, is approaching l 'the- Heads,. and that when the ball, drops.the steamer has rounded Point • HalswelL 'The Huddart-Parker steamers" are denoted bythe;flag letter H, which is half red and half white, arid each shipping company or agent.has.' its,b.;yn descriptive flag.: < Then- there-are the,;geometrical figures', —squares,', parallelogranisy. crosses, 1 'circles,' ;and the rest—hung from; the yard-arm's ./to,indicate a sailing ship, a barque, or a brig, arid, so forth." The system is gene'rf ally considered toliave worked well, but any proposals that seem to promise , , improvement would; of course,'be considered with an "open mind by the parties interested.:/ - ■■ .-.'-.'.