Part 10 (2/2)
150). The following table gives the different combinations used for various letters:
The Wigwag Alphabet.
A 22 J 1122 S 212 B 2112 K 2121 T 2 C 121 L 221 U 112 D 222 M 1221 V 1222 E 12 N 11 W 1121 F 2221 O 21 X 2122 G 2211 P 1212 Y 111 H 122 Q 1211 Z 2222 I 1 R 211 tion 1112
Numerals.
1 1111 4 2221 8 2111 2 2222 5 1122 9 1221 3 1112 6 2211 0 2112 7 1222
[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 151. The Signal for Letter ”B.”]
The numbers 1, 2 and 3 indicate respectively the first, second and third movements. For instance, A was represented by the combination 22, which means that the flag must be swept to the left and back twice. B is represented by the combination 2112, that is, a sweep to the left, two sweeps to the right and a final sweep to the left, as shown in Fig. 151.
The end of a word was represented by a sweep forward and back; the end of a sentence by two sweeps forward and back, and the end of a message by three sweeps forward and back. It will be noticed that the same combinations are used for 2 and Z, 3 and _tion_, 4 and F, 5 and J, 6 and G, 7 and V, 9 and M, and 0 and B. The following abbreviations were given in the Manual:
Abbreviations.
a after n not ur your b before r are w word c can t the wi with h have u you y yes
These abbreviations saved a lot of time, for when we wanted to signal the word _after_ instead of spelling it out--22-2221-2-12-211-3--we used the signal for A--22--followed by 3 to signify that it was the end of the word. Before was represented by 2112-3, _your_ by 111-211-3, etc. It took quite a little practice to learn the different combinations. Fred and Reddy soon became experts, and could flash the signals back and forth at a great rate.
WIGWAGGING AT NIGHT.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 152. Wigwagging at Night.]
At night we used a torch in place of a flag. The torch consisted of a roll of dried birch bark tied with wire to the end of a staff. It was found necessary to place another torch on the ground directly in front of the signaler so as to fix a central point and enable one to determine whether the moving torch was swung to the left or right. A later improvement was to use three lanterns, one in each hand and one attached to the waist to fix the central position. It was quite an advantage to have a lantern in each hand, for it saved changing over from one to the other when a second movement followed a first or a first movement a second.
THE HELIOGRAPH.
The book that Uncle Ed sent us had in it a description of a heliograph, that is, an instrument for sending signals with flashes of sunlight.
Although our wigwagging system was good enough for our requirements, yet we thought it would be more scientific to use the sun instrument, and besides, the latter could be used for signaling many miles.
THE SINGLE MIRROR INSTRUMENT.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 153. Trunnion for Mirror.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 154. The Single Mirror Instrument.]
The first thing we did was to procure a small mirror about 4 inches square, mounted in a wooden frame. Then we got a pair of small square head bolts about 1/4 of an inch in diameter and 1 inch long, also two strips of bra.s.s 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long. In the center of each bra.s.s strip we drilled a hole just large enough to admit the shank of one of the bolts, and then the strips were fastened with screws tight against opposite edges of the mirror frame, with the heads pressed against the frame and the shanks sticking out at each side, as shown in Fig. 153. These projecting shanks served as ”trunnions” (that is, pivots) for the mirror to turn on when it was mounted in place. After the trunnions had been set in place we made a peep hole in the center of the mirror by cutting out a piece of the wooden back of the frame and scratching away the silver from the back of the gla.s.s. Only a very small hole was required, about 1/8 inch in diameter. Great care was taken to have the unsilvered spot exactly on a line with the trunnions and just half-way between them. This done, we took two sticks of 3/8-inch wood, 1 inch wide and 3-1/2 inches long. In the upper end of each stick a slot was cut 1/2 inch deep and 1/4 inch wide. Into these slots the trunnions of the mirror were placed, and then the nuts were screwed tightly on, clamping the sticks against the sides of the mirror. The sticks were now connected by nailing a 1/2-inch strip at the bottom, and braced by a couple of corner pieces. This formed a swiveled frame for the mirror, which was clamped to the base of the instrument by means of a bolt 1-1/2 inches long. The bolt pa.s.sed through the bottom board of the frame, squarely under the peep hole of the mirror and through the baseboard of the instrument near one end. The baseboard was 2 inches wide, 10 inches long and 3/4 inch thick.
THE SIGHT ROD.
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