[emeritus]

Here's a description of the use of storm cones from "The British Code List for 1891", published by Lloyd's. Originally, only one cone was used, pointing DOWN for a Southerly gale, and UP for a Northerly gale. If a station's telegraphic communication was interrupted, two black balls were hoisted.

This book was left behind when Marconi Marine moved out of their site in Waterhouse Lane in the late 1990's. I found it in a cupboard with the slip cover of the guest book from Marconi's yacht "Electra". The Marconi archives were not interested in the code book, so I kept it. At that time, most British-registered vessels had been allocated a unique four-letter code that was used by shore stations to telegraph notice of their sightings to Lloyds for notices to be published in its weekly "Shipping Gazette & Lloyd's List" and "Lloyd's Weekly Shipping Index". .