Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 90.djvu/874

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��Popular Science Monthly

��Helmet

��ing jacks." They are semaphores, made of wood or metal and operated by levers. Be- fore the semaphore was perfected orders were signaled by flags, which are still in limited use. The semaphore now signals twice as fast as the best wig-wag man. When the distance is too great for the semaphore, the big red and white flag still spells out the messages.

Signal flags, or hoists, are always used when the fleet is in battle or maneuver- ing at sea. For the flag hoists, as they are called, there are twenty-six flags of the International Code, one for each letter of the alphabet. This code is used by all navies and the merchant- men of all nations.

Of course each navy has its own secret code, written in a code book, which is jeal- ously guarded. Its loss is a court-martial offense. It is weighted with lead. If a ship is captured it is thrown overboard. At night the red and white lamps of the Ar- dois are flashed. But yard-arm blinkers which signal dots and dashes in short and long dis- plays, are supplanting the Ardois because they are faster. Small search- light lanterns are now being used on the bridges of our fighting craft. One ship can lie at one entrance to the Panama Canal, and signal across Culebra Cut to another at the opposite entrance with ease. Then there are wireless and rocket signals, whistles and sub- marine signals — all in- cluded in the equipment of the armory shown.

���Should Our Soldiers Dress Like the Ancient Crusaders?

GETTING its inspir- ation from the valu- able service already performed by the steel helmet. La Nature of Paris suggests that the soldier's entire body should be encased in armor. It proposes that the sides of the head, neck and upper part of the chest be covered with a gorget, a kind of collar, and the loins with a kind of skirt, like the lower part of an habergeon, both in chain mail. A cuirass, or breastplate, of movable plates of steel would protect the chest and back, and hinged- steel elbow-pieces and knee-pieces would cover the joints. A face mask and goggles would com- plete the suit. The armor would be light enough to afford perfect freedom of action.

��How our soldiers would look in the proposed French suit of mail

���To stop spitting in cor- ners, paint them white

��A Substitute for the "No Spitting" Placard

A LATHE manufac- turing shop in Brighton, Mass., has de- vised a plan to protect corners of stairs and hall- ways from the thought- less spitter, without pla- carding the walls with "No Spitting" signs. The reminder used is simply brilliant white paint which shows up the corner in spotless cleanliness. It has been found to be even more effective than the old signs, in spite of the fact that it carries no threat of a fine ; for a man would require more than the ordinary amount of nerve or disregard for the pro- prieties to allow him to mar such whiteness.

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