due to its reliability and low cost. Voice pipes are unaffected by a complete electrical power loss or by an electromagnetic pulse. Warships built as late as the 1950s continued to incorporate voicepipes alongside more advanced technology. Maritime use Voice pipes, the maritime term, served to transmit reports from lookout positions aloft to the deck and from the bridge to the steering position and engine room. These were somewhat larger in diameter than the domestic version and were often covered in sound absorbent material to increase their efficiency. Copper voice pipes were being fitted to British two and three-deck warships as early as 1803. A notable use was on board HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Victory's ship's wheel was shot away early in the battle. A voice tube was then used to carry steering orders from the quarterdeck down three decks, to where a gang of sailors operated the ship's tiller directly using ropes and pulleys. One disadvantage of voice pipes is that they may breach the integrity of watertight spaces. This led to the introduction of shut-off valves on both ends of voicepipes to prevent water from a flooded compartment from entering other compartments via its voicepipes. Permanently fitted, rigid voice pipes are still in use and are generally covered with heavy lids to avoid ingress of water. The speaker has to place his mouth in the "horn" or bell-shaped end of the pipe and the receiver has to 'bend an ear' to hear what is being said. Voice pipes have generally been replaced by sound-powered telephones. The speaking tubes on naval ships are used when they are in "clam" mode instead of telephones for electronic stealth. Domestic use In domestic applications, voicepipes were smaller and referred to as "speaking tubes". The ends of the tube were often flexible for convenience of use. The speaking tube supplemented the array of remotely controlled hand bells that were operated in the upstairs rooms and rang in the servant's quarters in even modest houses in the 19th century. The phrase "get on the horn" and "give him a blow" as well as the use of "blower" as a synonym for "telephone" are generally accepted as having their origin in this feature of speaking tubes. Speaking tubes were employed in some offices, with whistles at either end and were therefore also known as whistling tubes. Several speaking tubes could