“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” Inhlabamkhosi Esindisa Ukuphila

Umlilo nentuthu kwase kugcwele yonke indawo emkhunjini wokudoba! Bonke ababephakathi babesengozini enkulu. Isikhulu samaPhoyisa Asogwini sathi: “Ukube ukaputeni womkhumbi akazange ahlabe umkhosi nge-Mayday, umkhumbi i-‘Nautical Legacy’ wawungeke uphinde utholakale. AmaPhoyisa Asogwini lwaseCanada asabela ngokushesha futhi akwazi ukusindisa zonke izisebenzi kulo mkhumbi.a

AMAGAMA athi “MAYDAY! Mayday! Mayday!” azwakala emsakazweni ebika ngesimo esiphuthumayo esasisongela ukuphila futhi kusuke kucelwa usizo olusheshayo. Ingabe kuyasebenza lokhu? Ngo-2008, amaPhoyisa Asogwini lwase-United States asiza ngesikhathi kunenkinga cishe izikhathi ezingaba ngu-24 000. Asindisa ukuphila kwabantu abangu-4 910—isilinganiso sabantu abangu-13 ngosuku—futhi basiza abantu abangaphezu kuka-31 000 ababebhekene nenhlekelele.

Kodwa kungani kusetshenziswa inkulumo ethi “Mayday”? Ngaphambi kokuba kube khona ukuxhumana ngo-ova, imikhumbi yayiwuhlaba kanjani umkhosi lapho idinga usizo?

Izindlela Zasendulo Zokuhlaba Umkhosi

Ngo-1588, umkhumbi i-Santa Maria de la Rosa owawuyingxenye ye-Armada yaseSpain wasebenzisa izibhamu zawo ukuze uhlabe umkhosi ngesikhathi ukhukhulwa yisiphepho esinamandla. Lo mkhumbi wacwila futhi abekho abasinda. Kwezinye izenzakalo, amatilosi asendulo ayephakamisa amafulegi aklanyelwe ukuhlaba umkhosi. Ngisho namanje, kuwo wonke umhlaba kuyaziwa ukuthi uma umkhumbi uphakamise ifulegi elimhlophe elinesiphambano esibomvu usuke ucela usizo.

Ngawo-1760 amatilosi aqala ukufunda indlela yokuhlaba umkhosi okuthiwa i-semaphore system. Ukuze asebenzise le ndlela, umuntu ohlaba umkhosi uphakamisa amafulegi amabili ame njengezinti zewashi. “Isikhathi” ngasinye asibonisayo simelela uhlamvu noma inombolo ehlukile.

Kodwa amafulegi, ukudubula ngenganono, nezimpawu ezibonakalayo zazisebenza kuphela uma abanye beseduze ukuze babone noma bezwe lapho kuhlatshwa umkhosi. Ngokuvamile, abasemkhunjini ocwilayo babesuke bengathembi ukuthi bazoluthola usizo. Sasingathuthukiswa kanjani lesi simo?

Izinhlabamkhosi Ezisebenza Kangcono

Intuthuko enkulu kwezobuchwepheshe bezokuxhumana yafika ngawo-1840. USamuel Morse wasungula indlela eyayenza abantu abasebenzisa i-telegraph bakwazi ukuthumela imiyalezo ngocingo besebenzisa ithuluzi elicindezelwa ngesandla elidlulisela umyalezo ophuma uwumbhalo. Uma nje osebenzisa leli thuluzi elicindezela, umuntu ongale kocingo wayekwazi ukuthola imiyalezo edluliselwa ngogesi. UMorse wahlanganisa uhlamvu nenombolo ngayinye nenhlanganisela yemisindo noma amachashazi amafushane namade kanye nodwi.

Ukuze asebenzise i-Morse code olwandle, amatilosi ayesebenzisa izibani ezinamandla esikhundleni semisindo ethunyelwa ngocingo. Oqondisayo wayekhanyisa isibani isikhathi esifushane ukuze abonise uphawu lwechashazi futhi akhanyise isibani isikhathi eside ukuze abonise uphawu olungudwi. Ngokushesha baqala ukusebenzisa inhlabamkhosi elula neyingqayizivele enamachashazi amathathu, odwi abathathu namanye amachashazi amathathu, amelela izinhlamvu ezithi SOS.b

Ngokujabulisayo, ubungako besimo nokuqhela kwalabo abahlaba umkhosi akugcinanga nje lapho kuphela. Ngo-1901, uGuglielmo Marconi wathumela umyalezo wokuqala ngo-ova owanqamula uLwandle i-Atlantic. Manje kwase kungathunyelwa imiyalezo ye-SOS ngo-ova kunokusebenzisa izibani. Noma kunjalo, abakhuluma ngo-ova babengakabi nendlela yokuhlaba umkhosi ngamazwi. Inkulumo ethi “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” yayingakabi khona.

Amazwi agcina ezwakele emoyeni ngo-1906 lapho uReginald Fessenden esakaza uhlelo lwezingxoxo nomculo. Amatilosi ayenemishini ethungatha amaza ka-ova ezwa uhlelo lukaFessenden eqhele ngebanga elingamakhilomitha angu-80. Ngo-1915, abantu abengeziwe bajabula lapho bezwa inkulumo eyasakazwa bukhoma e-Arlington, eVirginia, e-U.S.A., yaze yezwakala nase-Eiffel Tower eParis, eFrance—ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-14 000! Cabanga nje ukuthi ajabula kanjani amatilosi omkhumbi waseMelika okuthiwa i-S.S. America ngo-1922 lapho kuba nengxoxo yokuqala ngo-ova phakathi kwalo mkhumbi nesikhungo esiseDeal Beach, eNew Jersey, e-U.S.A., umkhumbi uqhele ngamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-600 ukusuka olwandle.

Ukuvumelanisa Izindlela Zokuhlaba Umkhosi

Ngawo-1920 nawo-1930, ababesebenzisa o-ova baqala ukuxoxa. Njengoba amatilosi asolwandle ayekhuluma izilimi ezingafani, ukaputeni wayengawuhlaba kanjani umkhosi ngendlela eqondwa yibo bonke abanye? I-International Radiotelegraph Convention yaxazulula le nkinga ngo-1927 ngokusebenzisa i-“Mayday” njengendlela eyamukelwa emhlabeni wonke yokuhlaba umkhosi.c

Singajabula kakhulu ngokuthi ukuxhumana kuye kwaqhubeka kuthuthuka. Ngokwesibonelo, esikhundleni sezinganono nezimpawu zamafulegi sekusetshenziswa i-radar nezinkomba-ndlela ze-global positioning system. Kanti o-ova sebetholakala yonke indawo, nezinkampani zosizo zihlale zilalele imiyalezo yo-ova futhi zimi ngomumo. Njengasendabeni yomkhumbi i-Nautical Legacy, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isimo esiphuthumayo siphakama kuphi noma nini, cishe uyokuzwa inhlabamkhosi ethi “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” Ngokungafani nezizukulwane zesikhathi esidlule, uma usengozini olwandle, esikhundleni sokuphelelwa yithemba lokuthi uzotakulwa, ungaqiniseka ukuthi uzoluthola usizo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 27]

Umkhumbi i-“Nautical Legacy” washa wangqongqa

[Umthombo]

Courtesy Fisheries and Oceans Canada, reproduced with the permission of © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

Ukuze asebenzise i-“Morse code” olwandle, amatilosi ayesebenzisa izibani ezinamandla esikhundleni semisindo ethunyelwa ngocingo

[Umthombo]

© Science and Society/SuperStock