HOW THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF SIGNALS WAS BORN

COMMUNICATION IS AND WAS AN ESSENTIAL AID BETWEEN SHIPS , AND SHIPS AND SHORE STATIONS. • AT THE BEGINNING OF 19° CENTURY THERE WAS A HUGE INCREASE IN MARITIME TRAFFIC DUE TO THE INVENTION OF STEAM POWER, APPLIED TO SHIP PROPULSION.

IMAGES OF SHIPS PROPELLED BY STEAM POWER.

CONSEQUENCES: INCREASE OF INTERNATIONAL CREWS THAT DIDN’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE. • IN 1857, A COMMITTEE, APPOINTED BY THE BRITISH BOARD OF TRADE, FOR THIS REASON, WORKED OUT A CODE, USEFUL TO BRIDGE THE LANGUAGES DIFFICULTIES AMONG CREWS. • THIS FIRST VERSION WAS VERY COMPLICATED. • IT INCLUDED 70, 000 SIGNALS AND 18 FLAGS.

THE CODE REVISED SEVERAL TIMES. • AFTER 40 YEARS THE CODE WAS REVISED WITH THE PURPOSE TO MAKE IT EASIER. IN 1934, IN FACT, WAS PUBLISHED THE NEW VERSION, IN SEVEN LANGUAGES AND IN TWO BOOKS, ONE DEALING WITH VISUAL AND SOUND SIGNALS, THE OTHER WITH RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND RADIO TELEGRAPHY.

GONG, BELL AND ALDIS LAMP ON BOARD

CORNS ON BOARD

LIGHTS AND A CORN ON A SHIP’S MAST.

VISUAL AND SOUND SIGNALS EMPLOY THE MORSE ALPHABET.

USING THIS CODE MESSAGES COULD EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY PEOLE WITH DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

OVER THE YEARS THIS CODE WAS REVISED SEVERAL TIMES AND IT IS REGULATED BY THE I. M. O.

NOW THE CODE CONTAINS: • INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS OF COMMUNICATION, TABLES, INDICATING THE MORSE CODE, DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLAGS AND PHONETIC TABLES.

THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF SIGNALS IS USED TO TRANSMIT: • LETTERS, NUMBERS AND CODE MESSAGES WHEN THERE’S A DIFFERENCE OF LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS OF DANGERS AND DISTRESS WHEN THE MODERN INSTRUMENTS DON’T WORK.