The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-10-22
Electric TeIegraphs in Warfare

A correspondent Of the London Times
gives the following description Of the Ger
man organization Of the military telegraph
service, and the mode in which the tele-
graphs are conducted during actual hostili-
tics.
''The telegraph system attached TO our
army is composed in the following way. To
understand it completely, il must be recol-
lccted, however, that an army is composed
of various Corps PArme, and each corps
of two divisions, therefore the telegraph is
divided into three sections, the station at
the Commander Chiefs 2, the station at
each corps; 8, the station at each division.
Sending message from a division Of this
army, to London VIC will say, it first goes
to the station Of the corps to which the d.
vision belongs, thence to the headquarters
Of the army to which the corps belongs, and
thence to the nearest main line. Each sec
ton has one inspector and five secretaries,
or what We should call clerks, four carriages,
two smaller ones, and six wagons. The
first named contain the cable, the second the
apparatus and batteries, and the last named
the posts upon which the wires are fixed.
They carry twenty English miles Of cable,
and the average time it takes to lay it is
three hours to every four miles. The pro-
cess Of laying is naturally the most scientific
part Of the arrangement, and is conducted
in the following manner: An intelligent
officer from the army, with some assistant
under him, is entrusted with the general su-
pervision Of the telegraph Of each army,
and to him is entrusted the task Of direct
ing where the main line shall run. lie
rides on ahead Of the wagons, which pro
coed at footpace, the cable being passed
out over a wheel and indicates to the drivers
by means Of a piece Of paper stuck on o
stick or blased tree the direction they shall
follow In the meantime, the foot soldiers
attached to the telegraph, who are selected
from the regiments for superior intelligence,
and wear different uniform, with a large
T on the shoulder strap, are divided into
what is called troops, or, in navy language,
gangs Of three men each The first take
the wire, as il is payed out, lay it on the
ground, and on it post every 100 yards
the second coming after them twist the cable
round the insulator, which is made Of gutts
percha, not glass, as we are in the habit o
using, and erect the posts in the ground
This is a matter Of great ease, they bein.
about II feet high, and about the thickness
of the butt end of a salmon rod, slightly
tapcring towards the top. The third trool
strain the wire, and ascertain that is al
clear of all wood, etc., and, in short, run
clear / should mention that whenever i
is possible the trees are used as telegrap
posts, and, by means of a light ladder, ar
easily assembled to the requisite highth.
is altogether as perfect an arrangement q
can be found. They all, however, com
plain that this war has tried them terribly
as, from the utter breakup Of the railway
by the retreating army, enormous distance
have to be traversed before they can touc
main line. forgot to mention that
necessary, and, in fact, always when on th
field Of battle, the telegraph is worked by
machine fixed inside Of one Of the carriages
When, however, a house is obtainable,
room is instantly turned into an Office.
i One Of the French prisoners in Berlin
who is now earning some money by maxim
shoes, is very good natured fellow. who
like Marx Taplsy, seems determined :
make the most Of the situation. Whc
tauntsd by q puaesan for being captiy,
and asked What hd1 bss6ns of Ffene
boasting now, be usds1 splisi
"French boastiDg, indeed VIZ mid \
should be in Berlin in thsss wesks, ~