Thursday January 1 12:43 PM EST
SOS distress signal era ends
LONDON, Jan. 1 (UPI) _ The Morse code distress signal SOS is now
officially history, but not before a 13,000 ton Bahamas-registered ship used
it to call for help 790 miles west of Ireland.
The SOS signal and official use of Morse Code was formally scrapped
worldwide at midnight.
The ship MV Oak was headed from Canada to Liverpool with a crew of 26
when its cargo of wood shifted in storm-force winds and it lost all engine
power
Wednesday.
The ship tapped out Morse code's final SOS and the signals were picked
up in Britain and passed to the Falmouth coastguard. The Coast Guard initially
considered the message a joke signaling the end of an era.
Guard spokesman Gerry Wood said, ``We haven't had a Morse distress
message for years. It was almost too perfect.''
But he said they reacted knowing ``someone was in distress... as nobody
ever sends an SOS signal as an exercise.''
Ship signals are now dispatched by modern satellite voice and computer
communication.
The Morse code system dates back to 1908 when British and German radio
operators agreed to use the SOS message.
The letters were chosen because they are simple to tap out in Morse
code: dot-dot-dot-dash-dash-dash-dot-dot-dot.
Wednesday's message from the Oak said only ``SOS. SOS. This is Oak.
Position 53 16 N, 24 59 W. Stop engine. We need assistance.''
British Coast Guard officials report the ship has been abandoned and the
nearest ship is some 400 miles away. But the Oak's crew and captain are
reportedly aboard lifeboats.
_-
Copyright 1998 by United Press International
All rights reserved
Yes...bow your heads...a legacy is dead. Even this Phone OP can see the
tragedy in this one. Had a feeling it was coming when I met a cruise ship on
KP2 and wanted to see the "radio OP"....the response was We dont HAVE a radio
OP...
73 de Doug W3CF / V26DX
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