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15
International Code of Signals and the Liste Alphabetique des Indicatifs D'Appel des
Stations Fixes, Terrestres et Mobiles. The practice of sending messages through
Agents has been discouraged, because they were frequently not forwarded promptly
during the night or at week-ends.
Practically all messages are now received direct from ships, but when some
serious infectious sickness has occurred on board, Shipping Companies and Agents
usually communicate the news as soon as they receive it, and ask if there are any
special instructions which they can Avireless to the ship concerned.
Ships requiring medical inspection are required to fly the L I M signal during
the day and to flash "Q" on their Morse lamp by night when approaching Gravesend.
No use has been made of land signal stations. It would be convenient to receive
messages from Lloyd's Signal Station at Southend, as they would enable the Medical
Officer to time the arrival of ships more accurately than do the wireless messages.
Such an arrangement would, however, involve expenditure which I have not felt
justified in asking the Port Health Authority to incur.
Information that ships are expected on certain tides is obtained from Shipping
Companies and their Agents, the Harbour Master, Lloyd's Agent, Customs Officers,
Pilots and the Masters of Tugs. All this news is welcome and useful, but cannot be
regarded as an efficient substitute for the Avireless messages from the actual ships
which require our attention.
Mooring Stations Designated under Article 10.
After negotiations with H.M. Customs and the Port of London Authority, inner
and outer mooring stations have been designated as shown in the following Table,
which has been prepared by the Inspector-General of the Waterguard for the information
of his officers, and which I have his permission to reproduce.