Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1915 — New York’s Police Learning How to Wigwag [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

New York’s Police Learning How to Wigwag

NEW YORK. —No, the multicolored flags to be seen nowadays waving from the roof of the municipal building and the Woolworth tower are not storm signals. The police department of New York is being placed on a war foot-

ing, that is, to the extent that a signal corps has been created. The men waving the flags from the tops of skyscrapers are not weather forecasters, but policemen trying to learn the wigwag system in use in the United States army. In the unlikely event of war, New York probably would be the first point attacked by the enemy. Also, in the event of serious riots, New York would be virtually in a state of war. In either exigency the New

police, at the. outset anyway, would have to bear the brunt of the trouble, and for this reason the powers that be have decided that the police should know how to wigwag. Not satisfied with entire dependence upon the telephone in case of riots or war, Police Commissioner Woods inaugurated a wigwag system of communication between police headquarters and every precinct in the five boroughs. Information to that effect came when two policemen were seen on thp roof of the municipal building waving signal flags with more enthusiasm than accuracy. In transmitting messages, flags and heliographs are used by the policemen during the day and powerful signaling lamps by night, the army code being followed. The harbor police are using the Morse code of the navy. Quartermaster Brauer of the navy yard being in charge of the instruction.