STORM AND WEATHER SIGNALS Flags, semaphores, lanterns, steam whistles, an( other devices exhibited o• sounded to inforn mariners and others of storms or weather condi lions. The display of such warnings results from the personal studies in more o less coope rat ion about the middle of the nineteenth cen tury. Storm and weather signals, properly so called, began to he displayed about 1863 in Eng land by Captain Fitzroy; in France by Leverrier ; and in Belgium by Buys Ballot. The Ameri can system of obser vations began in 1870 and storm signals we'', first displayed in the autumn of 1S71. At thi present time every civilized nation and ever port of any importance has some method o signaling or otherwise informing navigators o approaching storms. Among the systems the are now in use are the following: The semaphore is a simple vertical post having two or more arms attached that can he set a, different angles with the vertical. The semi pho•e was introduced as a telegraphic apparatus about 1790, and numerous semaphore stntion: are still maintained in Europe and in varioth colonies. See SIGNALING AND TELEGRAPIIING MILITARY, for illustration.
The Dutch and Belgian Oroe/inoseope (q.v.) is a modified semaphore, in which the po. sition of the arm indicates the direction of th( barometric gradient and consequently of the wine that is nearly perpendicular to that.
The British system of storm warnings utilize a cone by day and three red lights, arranged as a triangle, by night. I the cone point downwart it indicates a storm-winf from the southeast, veer lag through south to northwest. If the core point upward it indicates a northwest gale veer ing through the north to northeast.
The German system consists of cones arn double cones by day. and a single red lantern bN night. The accompanying diagram shows the ar rangement of the cones. The change in directior of the wind is indicated by red flags. If th( wind is expected to vary from west of north tc east, a single flag is raised; if the movement is it the opposite direction, two flags.
The symbols and signals used at the ports of the Urient depend upon the nationality of the port.
The arrangement of flags used in the United States by the United States Weather Bureau for storm warnings differs from that fur weather forecasts and is shOwn in the accompanying il lustrations.
duration is first sounded and then the longer blasts (4 to 6 seconds), which refer to weather, and the shorter blasts (1 to 3 seconds), which refer to temperature, the former being sounded first. The signals are as follows: