[f. FOG sb.2 + SIGNAL sb.]
1. Naut. (See quot. 1867).
1759. A. Holmes, in Naval Chron. (1810), XXIV. 123. Came to an anchor with the fog signal on English Bank.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Fog-signals. The naval code established by guns to keep a fleet together, to tack, wear, and perform sundry evolutions. Also, certain sounds made in fogs as warnings to other vessels, either with horns, bells, gongs, guns, or the improved fog-whistle.
2. Railways. A detonator placed on the metals in foggy weather to guide drivers of trains.
1856. Engineer, II. 3 Oct., 536/1. The detonating fog signal. No train should travel without them.
So Fog-signalling vbl. sb.; Fog-signaller, Fog-signalman, a man with fog-signals.
1883. F. S. Williams, Our Iron Roads, iv. (ed. 4), 295. The duty now devolving upon the fog-signalman is this: He is to place himself as far beyond the distance-signal as he can, so as still to see it.
1889. G. Findlay, Eng. Railway, 164. To admit of the trains running while the signals are invisible, a system of what is called ‘fog-signalling’ has been devised.
1893. Westm. Gaz., 14 Nov., 6/3. Fog-signallers were placed along the railway lines.
