Pocket-Flashlight Distress-Signals 



AXKWtt\slem <il warning ajiiinjach- 

 ing vessels along the Atlantic Coast 

 when danger is near and of 

 signaling to craft in distress has been 

 adopted by the United States Coast 

 Guard. It involves the use of pocket 

 electric flashlights instead of the flaring 

 red torches formerly employed. The new 

 light will permit signaling to vessels at 

 greater distances than has heretofore been 



casing a dr>- cell battery. At one end 

 there is a parabolic reflector about five 

 inches in diameter. Fitted at the base 

 of the reflector is a six-volt bulb with a 

 highly concentrated tungsten filament. 

 At the other end is a "key" or switch to 

 turn the current on or off and flash the 

 light. Messages are sent b\' long and 

 short flashes, corresponding with the 

 Morse code dots and dashes. 



The flashlight consists of a 

 heavy nickel-plated barrel en- 

 casing a dry cell battery and 

 having at one end a parabolic 

 reflector fitted with a bulb 

 containing a tungsten filament 



possible and will also 

 make it possible to flash 

 communications. Hence 

 Coast Guardsmen can signal m a ^hip m 

 distress its approximate [position and ti'U 

 the master thi- best course to safe water. 

 Altiiougii onK- slightly larger than tiu' 

 pocket lam|)s in common use, the new 

 light i)ro(luces a flash that can be seen 

 for seven miles in good weather. It con- 

 sists of a heavv nickel piatcil barri-1 en- 



Keteiiiiy ("oast Guard oliicers made 

 experiments with the new signal light olT 

 the X'irginia Cajies on a stormy night, 

 ("ape ilenr\- light, which under good 

 con<litions ii^ \isibU' for nearly lwent\- 

 threi' mill's, could not bi' seen for more 

 than eight miles. The pocket flash could 

 be sei'n four and one-half miles. 



MO 



