Night Signals of the Steamship Lines - 1889
To make themselves know to other ships, the transatlantic steamships adopted a system of lights specific to their line that identified the steamship line to an approaching vessel.
Night Signals of the Steamship Lines
- ALLAN LINE
- Three Blue Lights, in the form of a triangle, in the mizzen rigging.
- AMERICAN LINE
- Red Light, followed by a Roman Candle, throwing six Red Balls, and then a Red Light.
- ANCHOR LINE
- Red and White Lamps, alternately.
- BEAVER LINE
- Green Light fore and aft, and on the bridge, simultaneously.
- BORDEAUX LINE
- Blue Light, changing to Red, and then to White.
- BRISTOL (CITY) LINE
- Red Light, changing to Green, and again to Red.
- CARDIFF LINE
- Blue Light, changing to Red, and again to Blue.
- CUNARD LINE
- Blue Light and two Roman Candles, throwing six Blue Balls each.
- FLORIO LINE
- Red Light, changing to Green, and again to 'White, and again to Red.
- FRENCH LINE
- Blue Light forward, White Light amidships, and Red Light aft, simultaneously.
- GREAT WESTERN LINE
- Red Light, changing to White, and again to Blue or three flashes of a Blue Chatham Light.
- GUION LINE
- Blue Light forward, aft and on the bridge, simultaneously.
- HAMBURG LINE
- White, Red and Blue Fire Balls, three each in succession—half a minute interval.
- HOLME (PLYMOUTH) LINE
- Green Light, changing to Red, and again to Green, and again to Red.
- INMAN LINE
- Blue Light forward and aft, and Red Light on the bridge, simultaneously.
- LAMPORT S. HOLT LINE
- Roman Candle throwing one Red, one White and one Red Fire Balls.
- LEYLAND LINE
- One Red Light on the bridge.
- NATIONAL LINE
- Red Light and two Blue Lights, in form of triangle, Blue Lights at the base.
- NETHERLANDS LINE
- Green Light forward and aft, and White Light on the bridge, simultaneously.
- NORTH GERMAN LLOYD LINE
- Blue Lights, changing Red, one forward and one aft.
- RED STAR LINE
- Red Light forward and aft, and on the bridge, simultaneously.
- STATE LINE-
- Blue, Red Coston Light.
- THINGVALLA LINE
- White - Red, followed by one Red - White Coston Light.
- WHITE CROSS LINE
- One White Rocket forward, followed after interval by Green Rocket and Green Lamp in maintop.
- WHITE STAR LINE
- Two Green Lights burning simultaneously.
- WILSON LINE
- Two Red Lights, simultaneously.