The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-10-17


noon there will be q matinee for the gratilca.
tion Of ladies and children.
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.
FLrNo TELEoRArH TRArNs.-puripg the
past year the signal department OF the army
have been actively engaged in .perfeetiDg a
new code ofsignals, new materials with which
to operate, i%prSying on old one', se.s and
street, between Ninth and Tenth, have Just
completed the manufacture of three staunch
partment, with which to prosecute their eS.
periments in signal telegfaphy; and in the
course OF week or ten days officers OF the
%ss Rsr ply train P ia Fonl akrsS
Maryland, when they will make some inter.
esting experiments In the art Of army tele-
new code and the trains practice the improved
drill.
It Is necessary to have some knowledge OF the
different parts constituting II, as the telegraph
train OF the present day, as built by Messr,.
used in this country or elsewhere. The Train
consists: !. OF the battery wagon, containing
the "portnble electric batteries, Unnecessary for
an ofDce, with four desks for operators, sup.
plies Of stationery, acids needed for immediate
use, &C; 2. or two wire wagons, the size Of an
or twelve miles OF wire, some insulated for
crossing streams ans, or laying upon the ground,
and the rest plain, TO De erected on lances,
the wire, a tooi.chest containing ali othef ar.
ticles needed for telegraphio purposes, and
lance U trucks about seventeen feet long avn. sSS
four feet wide at the bed, with sides three
and.a.half high, used to carry the lanoes on
which the lines Ia to be erected. Everything
that can possibly be required for a telegraph
line 10 carried with this train. Each lance Ia
arranged at the smaller end to receive an iron
thong, and holds an iusulator for the naked
wire. This portable field insulator, which 10
an entirely new model, and one Of the inycn::
one now In use, 1t is made OF hard rubber,
one end 10 fastened hook BY which 10 attach
It to the spike, and to the other the hook to
receive the naked wire.
The great difficulties experienced hereto
fore In using the lance telegraph have been
lst, to ind q suitable insulator for naked
wire, and, I'd, to attach the same or insulated
wire to the lance. Every known form OF in.
sulator has been used, nId the Attachments
made In various ways, but In every instance
the lsneeS were liable to be broken Ss.ily by
arrangement obvlates all these dirlcuIties
The insulator and spike are easily detached
former Is so coastraotcd that when suspSht tc
It can move through 3 space of about sis
inches, thus relieving the lance from the ef
fects Of any sudden strain caused by the sway.
The train, when formed for action, IL ar.
ranged In the following order, Wis:
Captain with buglAr mounted.
Battery wagon.
Director and markers, mounted.
Wire wagon.
Line men.
Surveyor and pin men.
Bar men.
Lance truck.
Lance men.
Pin men and patrols.
When on the march the detachments OF men
precede the wagons and truck.
regular drill has bpen ARRANGED for thin
train, and all the movements that 1t can be
called upon to execute have been provided for
During the past four months = school Of In
struction in signals has been In operation at
Governors Island, New York, non-commis.
stoned officers and pIivates, especially adapt
ed to receive such instruction, having been
selected for that purpose. More recently \
signal corps school Of telegraph. has been ca
now In successful operation. A number OF
officers detailed by the War Department are
under instruction in Washington. They too,
In few months, will be scattered abroad
among the different military departments to
impart their knowledge Of the subject to the
It's but proper to state that the chief signal
officer has done great and important part In
increasing the knowledge of field telegraph
Ing, and making many OF It's crooked ways
straight. General Grant and Admiral Porter
have shown commcndable spirit in aHording
every facility to the signal corps in this i'm
portant work, and in having proper otilcers
and apparatus furnished to impaft instructions
as regular branches OF study at West Point
and at the Naval Academy. Recent exhibi.
Etratc, satisfactorily, that land and water
communication between feet and army has
been made much more convenient and moro
certain.
Improvements and additions have been and
are constantly being made In its development,
AID to-day we stand far in advance of all for
eign powers In this subject. The fact has been
fully acknowledged, and already both Den
mark and sweden have sent its represents
haF IN Ina ItPti nd inf ttnn
the subject has been eagerly sought both by
Russia and Austria.
are similar to those OF light artillery.
The aggregate force required to work the
whole train in time of war, when 1t may be
necessary to execute movements at the " dou'
BILE quick" Is eighty three; consisting of one
captain, two leutenants, ten non-commis-
stoned officers and seventy privates.
Tho force necessary to run out a single line
at the double quick, using one lance truck and
wire wagon, Ia one lieutenant, five non.cOm'
Iuissioncd officers and thirty-hve privates.
Each man has his appropriate place and du.
ties. During peace, or when great haste ia
not required, less than one half OF the above
number is necessary to work the train and
erect the lines. when Telegraph lines are to
be run out, the captain locstes the battery
wagon as the hcadIuarters' station, and gives
his outlying stations, Each lieutenant In
structs his director as to the route OF the line,
aud the station to be established; The d.
log bright flags. These he ranges at points
along the proposed route, to indicate the same
to the wire wagon, which moves rapidly In .
straight Hue, roelihg out the wire and leaving
Il lying upon the ground along the line thus
designated. The surveyor follows the wire
wagon, with two men supplied with bags OF
wooden pins about two feet long and painted
SO as to DO easily observed, aud Indicates tho
points where these pins are to be placed. Al
each point so shown pin 10 thrust into the
ground, the object being to denote where the
lances, on which tho line 10 to be erected,
should be planted. Next, armed with crow
bars, come the bar men, who make holes as
steps for the lances at the points marked by
the pine, and return each pin again to Its
hole. Then comes the lance tuck, the truck
men upon It throwing out lance wherever
pin is observed. The lance m'n, bearing can
vas bags containing the spikea ard insulstors,
follow, attaching the insulators and wire to
the lance. setting each lance In the hole
formed for It, and erecting the line rapidly.
YoUS0 MEMS SEYMOUR aSp BLAIR CLUB.-
A special meeting Of the Young Mems Soy.
mour and Blair Club was held on Thursday
evening, at their hail on Pennsylvania ave,
nue.; Mr.. J. Y. Richmond, vice president, in
the chair.
On motion. it WAS resolved that Lere.ftrr
the initiation fee be 80
There was some discussion on motion to
reimburse tho recretArJ, hlr. Is. !. Mar, for
services rendered. Thr mo ion was lost
1t was resolved that the thar be AuihuIiIed
to invite speakers to address the ueSt regular
meeting OF tho club
The resignation OF the secretary, MI. Naar,
vas offered and accepted, aud Mr.. Jesse Judge
was elected to MI the vacancy.
The club then resolved to appropriate s5O 10
MI Mar, and the meeting then adjourned