(Bill Gurstelle is guest blogging here on Boing Boing. He is the author of several books including Backyard Ballistics, and the recently published Absinthe and Flamethrowers. Twitter: @wmgurst)
Back when I was a boy scout, you had to learn either semaphore or Morse code to earn First Class Scout rank. Most kids in my troop learned semaphore because it was easier to learn. I’m proud to say I learned Morse code. I still remember the code for “a,” “e,” “I” “n” “o” “s” and “t.” So, if the chips were down, I could tap out “I eat no oats,” or “Note, I see stones.”
The first ship to transmit an SOS distress call was the Cunard liner Slavonia on June 10, 1909, when it went aground on rocks off the Azores.
Prior to that, ships used a variety of distress calls, such as:
-.-. -.. –.- CDQ (subject to misunderstanding)
..- …. / — …. / .– . / .- .-. . / … .. -. -.- .. -. –. UH OH WE ARE SINKING (much clearer)
.. / – …. .. -. -.- / .. / …. .. – / .- / –. — -.. -.. .- — -. / .. -.-. . -… . .-. –. I THINK I HIT A GODDAMN ICEBERG (No doubt at all here)
… …. .. .–. / -.-. .- .–. – .- .. -. / -….- / ..-. .- .. .-.. SHIP CAPTAIN – FAIL!
A while back, Jay Leno gave identical messages to the “world’s fastest texter” and an old time Morse code expert and set a contest to see who could send it faster. The Morse code blew the texter away. Sort of like John Henry beating the steam drill. Video is here.
.. / .– .- -. – / – — / -.. .. . / .–. . .- -.-. . ..-. ..- .-.. .-.. -.– / .. -. / — -.– / … .-.. . . .–. –..– / .-.. .. -.- . / — -.– / –. .-. .- -. -.. ..-. .- – …. . .-. .-.-.- .-.-.- / -. — – / … -.-. .-. . .- — .. -. –. / .- -. -.. / -.– . .-.. .-.. .. -. –. / .-.. .. -.- . / – …. . / .–. .- … … . -. –. . .-. … / .. -. / …. .. … / -.-. .- .-. .-.-.-