Language of ether silenced 1999
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February. 13,1999
w4 1MnE oATUALAT MiERUURT
Hi-tech has given a SO LONG Navy’s books include AD, which
means “I am abandoning my vessel
reliable message 1:H A I\_I I_(_S which has suffered a nuclear acci-
dent” and SN, meaning “Stop im-
mediately. Do not scuttle. Do not
system the elbow. lower boats. Do not use wireless. If
MONICA PORTER you disobey, I shall open fire”. Some
signals have a distinctly different
sounds a requiem for meaning from their civilian equiva-
lents, such as PS: “Do not come any
the dah-dits
Language of
closer”.
@® Even quite recently Morse has
been used to send news around the
world. In 1973 a group of Fleet
Street reporters followed the then
22-year-old Princess Anne on her
first solo tour, to Ethiopia. In a
INCE the start of this remote town she succumbed to a
ether silenced
month, the world’s severe stomach ailment and had to
most famous signal, SOS, is of- dash out of a banquet. The re-
ficially defunct as Morse code is porters, desperate to send the story
replaced by the satellite-based Glo- to Britain, found the town’s Telex
bal Maritime Distress and Safety machine broken, its sole phone line
System. went only as far as the capital,
Experts say the state-of-the-art Addis Ababa, and the official in
equipment is far more reliable than charge spoke no English. To their
the dots and dashes, the dits and amazement, however, he took their
history when it helped to catch stories, picked up the phone and
dahs, devised 161 years ago. But wife-murderer Dr Crippen. He and
will it capture the public’s imagin- spoke rapidly: “Dit-dah-dit-dit,
his mistress were trying to escape dah-dah-dah, dah-dit, dah-dit-dit”.
ation and affection in the same to a new life in Canada on the
way? Another operator in Addis then
transAtlantic liner = Montrose.
Telexed the stories to London.
In a fond farewell to a proud Although they were travelling in-
tradition, we tap out 17 fascinating cognito, the captain recognised ® Despite it being declared of-
facts about Morse code. them and sent a Morse message to ficially dead, the code is not about
® American painter Samuel Scotland Yard; they were arrested to be deserted by the hundreds of
Morse, of Charlestown, Massachu- on board and returned to Britain, thousands of licensed radio ama-
setts, conceived the idea of his where Crippen was eventually teurs around the world. They claim
electric telegraph code in 1832 after hanged. it still has a vital role on shortwave
overhearing a conversation about @® In the 1860s the code was bands when more complex, hi-tech
the newly-discovered electromag- adapted for use with lights so methods of communications fail.
net on his way home by ship from warships could communicate with @® Ships that have continued to
Europe. By 1838 he had developed each other quickly. During both use Morse until now are mainly
the system of dots and dashes, world wars, many messages in close based in Eastern Europe or the
created by electrical pulses of vari- convoys were sent by masthead Third World. Maritime authorities
able lengths. Six years later, he lanterns. Ships could communicate fear some companies will not be
tapped out the world’s first tele- in total security, because, unlike able to afford the new system,
gram: “What God hath wrought.” radio messages, the lights could not thereby putting lives at risk — they
The international code, a modi- Samuel be intercepted. may send out SOS signals by Morse
fied version of his work, was agreed Morse who one day, only to find no one is
@ It took years for operators to listening.
on by a conference of European conceived
become proficient in sending and
nations in 1851. the idea of an
receiving Morse messages. At sea, ® Morse’s dogged and lengthy
@ One of the earliest companies electric
the minimum standard was 20 pursuit of his invention drove him
to make everyday use of the code telegraph to penury and on several occasions
words a minute; most skilled oper-
was Wells Fargo, the pioneering code in 1832
ators could manage 30. The highest he almost gave up hope. Only the
postal system in the Wild West, recorded speed at receiving Morse support ofhis family allowed him to
which communicated via cross- v 70 An m mntsmnada ke THanaei ann carrv on long enough to verfect his
country telegrapn lnes. ine plots VYA 8 YV A AR GA SAAALALAV RS AAAas Angians
system. At one point, he wrote to a
of many Western movies hinged on Bulcao de Oliveira Redig in Rio de
poles being felled or dying oper- Janeiro in 1961. The highest speed friend: “I am crushed for want of
ators tapping out the last words of for hand-key transmitting is 175 means. My stockings all need to see
the Elbe, smashed into a lightship CQD (Come Quick Danger) but it my mother and my hat is hoary
a vital message. symbols per minute (35 wpm) by
in the Dover Strait and began to was more laborious. with age.”
@® Morse was originally sent Harry A. Turner, of the US Army
sink. Lifeboats were summoned @ The first SOS sent at sea was @® Singer Johnny Cash became
along landlines by operators using Signal Corps, in 1942.
from shore by Morse, the first use of from the stricken Titanic. In the an expert at sending Morse mess-
keypads but was gradually super- the code in sea rescue. ® In World War II, undercover
seded by Telex, then radio. early hours of April 15, 1912, agents on both sides used Morse to ages when he served in the Korean
@ The most famous Morse sig- wireless operator John Phillips send messages from behind enemy War. He once said the signals
@® The first radio equipment de- sent the following message: “SOS, helped him develop his ear for
signed to transmit the code was nal, SOS, was agreed on by British lines. In recent decades it was no
and German radio operators in SOS. Come at once. We have struck longer considered part of a spy’s music.
installed on a lightship on Goodwin
Sands, off the coast of Kent, in 1908. It had nothing to do with berg. Position 41 [degrees] 46 N, 50 toolkit, which made it all the more @ In the blockbuster sci-fi movie
Save Our Souls, as popularly sup- 14 W. SOS.” The nearest ship, the surprising to Special Branch offi- Independence Day, Morse saved the
1899. The idea was to use it to send
a message if a vessel ran aground posed — S and O were simply the Californian, was 19 nautical miles cers who arrested Czech agent Earth after the invading aliens
— but the lightship was rammed by two most easily recognisable letters away, less than two hours steaming Erwin van Haarlem in London in blocked out all other means of
a freighter soon afterwards. Mari- and were sent as dot-dot-dot, dash- time, but the crew failed to pick up 1988 as he was receiving a message communication by humans.
time history was made the same dash-dash, dot-dot-dot. In the pre- the signal. in Morse. Are we perhaps being a trifle
year when an off-course steamer, vious decade, ships had radioed ® In 1910, Morse made criminal @ Snappy codes on the Royal hasty in ditching it ...?
Boal Boa
(BB Islander 360 dinghy MOORING SERVIC QUINTREX BOATS STACER DINGHIES
N§14: Winner national and 3 VINTAGE YACHT WANTED 15 hp Long shaft
state titles, 6 sails, cradle, 28ft Huon Pine Cutter. outboard, in good condition.
cover, Fast boat, exc cond Classic Character, gaff rig. Ph 6243 9561.
February sail day re-sail 20 hp Mercury motor, tilt trailer, Ph Brett Evans 0418 122 959 $5,200 ono. Ph 6229 4243 LEWIS MARINE LEWIS MARINE 10 hp Yanmar, stove, CB and
Sunday 14th, 11 am. $2,200. Ph 6247 1215, ph/fax on 62 391 670 www.view.com.au/lewis www.view.com.au/lewis SBFBO. v vvivissas $16,000. WANTED 25 - 27 ft GRP Yacht
REGATTA
Urgent sale - Ph 6273 0468 with inboard diesel. To
HAINES HUNTER
OUTBOARD MOTOR
JETSKI
MOTH STAINLESS STEEL gas (ah) or 0414 885 186 $20,000. Ph 6248 5007.
good cond ....... $550 ono. 2 hp Suzuki 89, $350 ono.
PH 6297 1173. cylinders now available from
Ph 6228 6262. FRAGMENTS WANTED WANTED 10-20m B Class fish-
SCALE FISH “B”
LEWIS MARINE Kawasaki 900cc with trailer. PORT CYGNET 133 Elizabeth Street ing licence with or without
www.view.com.au/lewis MOTOR BOAT, STEEL OUTBOARD 8HP Suzuki, short Sunday Feb 28 (long weekend)
Exc cond, 12/99 reg. 26 ft, 20 hp Yanmar, sounder, shaft plus tank, as new, little cash and prizes totalling Ph 6234 8927 endorsement. Ph 6250 2737
Ph 6229 1550 or 6250 2170.
Haines Hunter V19R
GPS, 27 mhz radio, sink $7,700 use, $900 neg. Ph 6259 7211. $1,000. Race from Kettering on SUMMER TRADING HOURS Wrasse and/or Morwong en-
LEWIS MARINE
ono. Ph 6249 7374.
WHITTLEY BOATS
Saturday. Cruise home on
PERSONAL
KETTERING dorsement with catch criteria
MOTOR SAILER
BOAT BROKERAGE Monday. Entries and info and TFBL. Ph 63725112.
2 x 1998 125 Mariner o/b’s, tan- 6295 0486, 6295 0447.
dem trailer, exc cond, $23,500. 35ft Fwd W/H, timber, $40,000.
ph 0419 572 620 or 6224 8502 35ft ketch, timber, $66,000.
28ft racer/cruiser, $24,000. 6m Savage Nautilus, fibreglass,
WATER CRAFT
RIPPLE 22'6 Cabin cruiser 30 Now Open Saturdays 9 to 4
hp diesel, radios, sounder etc, WANTED LEWIS MARINE
www.view.com.au/lewis
Hartley
151t Boat
SUZUKI o/board DT 25 hp,
28ft Huon Pine cutter, $25,000|all_gear, excellent condition, gd cond, $8,000. 6250 2645.
RENT—BUY YAMAHA 90 HP
$12,000 ono .. Ph 6267 2205. elect/start, little use, exc cond,
43ft motor sailer, $170,000. SALES/SERVICE
LISTINGS WANTED SAILING DINGHY 12' $1,000. Ph 6261 2021.
MOTOR, 4cyl, Ford Lees REPAIRS AND ADVICE Self draining, $400 ono.
Tasmanian Scallop
Marine ply, needs repairs and 45 FERRY RD. Ph 6267 4727.
paint job, no running gear or diesel, $500. Ph 6239 9342 or STAND UP AND Ph 6224 7373. Boat to live aboard, dep and outboard, 4 yo, cil inj, exc cond,
trailer, $180 ono. 6273 9441. KETTERING MARINE 0418 138 090 SIT DOWN instalments. Consider anything. low hrs, $5,000 ono. 6223 1124
SKIS AVAILABLE SCALE fish "C" with boat
Need some burley?
Ph 6231 9405.
Fishermans Assoc. WANTED
NOW STOCKING Standard to fully modified licence for sale. Phone
«HARTLEY marine ply run- Superior sports wear
Y2GABIN
6334 1133. YAMAHA 9.9 Hp S/shaft out
about, 14ft 6, 25 hp Johnson, Need advice or need a ski or
Wet weather clothing board, 1990 model with hose
Ski Boat, Runabout
$1,500 ono. Ph 0408 120 066. Stainless steel gas cylinders Stryken Lucky Burley, 10 and NEED TO SELL YOUR SKI I
and tank $1,150 Ph 6243 5324
NOTICE OF MEETING
HOSE
45 FERRY RD. Ph 6267 4727. 20 kilo buckets available. Craig
* 750 JET SKI SX %
Followed by AGM, followed by
ZODIAC
$6,200 WITH TRAILER to $3,500. Must
PRO SPORTZ
0419 890 729 or 6223 1181. F.AC. meeting, Archers
15ft, with trailer, 100hp Merc, Manor, Newnham, Tuesday be in good cond. 6248 5666.
NET BOAT
LOFTY’S TROLLING CLINICS
Rubber and PVC. Arthurs Lakes. Ph 6363 1336 goes very well, $2,500 ono, will Feb 23, 9 am start. Points to be
trade. Ph 6239 9093. WANTED ply or glass dinghy
discussed: arrangements 1999 approx 8ft, any condition. Ph 3.1 m, red, exc cond, $1,500
PH 6228 6337
Fittings and valves. 6398 1262 or 0417 360 618.
Rubber mouldings. SLOOP21" season, future management. ono. 6229 7412/0418 563 199.
Marine Ply Dinghy
26ft Hobson, net reels, elec- 6229 8413.
Engine mounts rubber. tronics, $16,000.0419 531 867. For sale: Marine ply “Waratah” J.Hammond, President.
Matting, rubber & PVC design. Exc cond but needs WANTED TO BUY 14' CHADWICK 50 hp merc, A1
Deck mats 6x4 NOVA 16FT work. $7,000 ono. VEGA 18FT swing keel, FG Kayak Dancer model. condition $5,000.
Brierley Hose & Handling 10 ft, oars, $250. 6268 6387. fiimilar to Haines V16R), 175 PRIDE 16ft % cab, 60hp plus some minor Ph 6234 2832. trailer sailer in superb con- Ph 6223 4411. Ph 6223 7715 Sat.
7.5 aux, plus all accy on King dition, complete with mast,
1 Lampton Ave, Derwent Park erc blue, both very good
Ph 6272 8144. tilt tir, as new cond, $9,500 SOUTHERN Rock Lobster li- sails, sounder, Seagull OB WANTED TO BUY, 12ft alu- 1998 4 hp Evinrude, only used
cond, many extras, trade on neg. Ph 6272 2450 after 5pm cence 180 pots in Westemn and stereo on galv tilt trailer, minium dinghy up to $700. Ph to get to mooring, $900 ono.
MOORING for sale Cornelian larger inboard. Ph 6244 8282.
INFLATABLE Bay Ph 6249 1109.
MOORING MAINTENANCE
xok NS 14 %%
PROFESSIONAL NETS
1000m trevally, 1000m live fish
nets, bunts, ropes, floats, traps,
Australia. Immediate lease to $7,590 firm. Ph 018 138 592.
experienced fisherman.
Season 15/11/98 to 30/6/99. WANTED
6239 0068.
WANTED TO BUY, anchor 32' Huon Pine motor sailer,
Ph 6297 8277.
small clinker dinghy, suit play- winch prefer hydraulic for 50ft $7,500 ono. Ph 62216652
Bombard, 10 ft, exc cond, Phone Peter Devereaux on $8,000 per season.
$1,350. Ph 6248 1085. 6265 3833 or 0419 599 650. Exc cond, $3,650. 6248 1085.|$3,200 the lot. 0419 531 867. Contact (08) 9335 6244 ground. Ph 6248 9521. yacht, Ph 6267 4142, weekdays, ask for Simon.