National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-21
DEPARTMENT GLEANINGS
IN xoCOVBr or TIE SIGNAL SER
VICE EELEGRAPH.


effective iorcs Of tie army ct large, enacted that
the Signal service should not be affected By such
Eoduction but Be permitted to retain its full nun
her Of $50 men, and 70 Eivs steady employment 70
1hls force II provided for the construction Of car
tain telegraph lines on our western frontiers, 70
Dc under the direction Of the Chief Signal Oncer,
both ae 70 erection and managemsnt. One Of
1hsse lines begins a. Dehnison, tn Iexaa and enas
a. BrOEnSvine, n the sane state, nearthe mouth
81 the RIO Grsnds, connecting the military posts
Of Forts Sill, Richardson, GTifhns Oonchos
CLARKE. Duncan, Mcintosh, and Ringgold Bar
rreks with the civilized world. The total length
of This line Il about l,25O miles, and the amount
supropriated for its eonstructlen, S1O0,OOo, sum
which would be wholly inadequate II the employ
ent Of troops for building and Of the facilities Of
the quHrtermaster's department for transporta-
tionWere not authorized. A glance st the map Of
Texns VIII show the difnculties TO be overcome
by the builders Of the line.
II crosses the famous aStaked Plsinn for hun
dreds Of miles, utterly destitute Of timber and
water and masses through the heart OF the eoun-
nv which Il now the seat OF Indian hostilities.
The work Of construction has been placed under
NE immediate charge Of Lieutenant Allyn
Capron, acting Signal ofheef, and Colonel J. @.
Van DuEsr, so well and fsyorably known in tele-
graphic circles as the former superintendent Of
military telegraphs in the old Army Of The Cum
DILAaul= u NNlAAlA paIsl HaLhAu1 Will "
furnished from the Signal camp at Fort Whipple,
near this city, and as so9n IS preliminary recon
noisanee Is finished the line wiz be pushed to
early completion.
Another line ordered starts at Prescott, Arizona
TERRITORY, and extends through Camp Verde 10
Camp Apache, in the same Territory, distance
Of aben. 80 hundred miles, connecting at Pres
att Win s6S i' tSslp putt BY the War Department
Pseife coast. This latter line has also been
transferred to the Signal once, in order that all
the Government lines might be under one man
aRement Lieutenant Theodore Smith, acting
signal ohcer, has been assigned TO duty as super
intendent Of the whole line, and will attend to the
construction Of the new portion and the super
vision Of the old. The operators on this IS on all
ths other lines under the charge Of the Signal
OfBee Win be enlisted men Of the signal service
Practical telegrsphy and line building aretaught
IN all their details At the school Of instruction al
Port Whipple.
In addition to these lines the Signal once has
nov IN operation q line from the central once, IN
this city, 70 Cape Hatteras, via Richmond, Wei
don, Norfolk and Cape Henry, and another nom
the central ONCE to Sandy Hook, Long Branch
and Barnegst, New Jersey. Both these lines are
worked in connection with the Ife-saTing ser
nee, and have already proved Of great value to
the mercantile community by the display Of eau
tionary signals along the most dangerous coasts
q the UHited States to warn passing vessels Of
approaching storms, and BY reporting disasters
promptly, when such occur, from neglect Of warn
inEa given or other causes beyond human control.
a party Of signal serTics men, under charge Of
Lieutenant Grimes, acting signal ofacer, Is now
engaged IN extending the Jersey coast line from
Barnegat 60 Cape May, and viii have completed
the work BY October !. This win give q confirm
ous line from Cape May to sandy Hook, and the
- h. tadt hat
. vessel passing within sight Of the coast can
always know when dangerous storm is impend-
ing IN time to seek shelter IN the nearest harbor.
A signal station has. also been recently eStab-
Iishsd on Thatcher's Island, OF Cape Ann, Mas
gaehusetfs and connected with the mainland By
cable one and half miles in length. Thegreat
TlbHc utility Of these coast lines Is attested BY
the frequent applications ron commercial men
and underwriters to the signal once for informa-
ton that can only be obtained through their
agensy.
The system Is yet IN its infancy, and the plan
ofWOrk not fully organized; but enough has been
Gone to demonstrate its usefulness and also the
eapaeIty OF enlisted men 70 manage its details
Further extensions Of the service are contem,
Mated we are informed, as soon as Congress
makes the necessary appropriation, and the time
Is not far distant when the entire Atlantic and
lake coasts Of the United States VIII be protected
b. the electric telegraph and in constant commu.
nieation with washington, and thence with ali
parts Of the Union.
The observers in charge Of the coast station am
All fully instructed in the use Of the ntsrnAtions
code Of signals, and provided with the necessary
apparatus for its use, thus afiording certain
means Of Communication with passing vessels o
an nations. The management and equipment o
shese different telegraph lines, amounting Z
Hsarly three thousand miles in the aggregate
forms but . small part Of the work required o
the signal detachment Of 80 men Overone hun
dred meteorological stations are worked BY them
and Of necessity q reserve has 70 be kept at tn
signal camp to replace losses from sickness, diI
charge or other casualties. As It requires tire
men on an average 70 work each station, and a
the permanent force required ct the camp Is on
hundred men. It is evident that the present fore
& too maIl, and that Congress should al its nez
session provide for its increase in some permaaen
form
LINE OFFICERS MAKING DISBURSE
MEETS TO GIVE BONDS.
In the early part OF this month the Secretary
War, as has been the custom at the War Depaf
nent for many years, sent to the Treasury d
pattment his requisitinn in favor Of an ofieer
the army temporarily performing the duties
disbursing ofieer. This ofheer was first hel
tenant Of the line. and Of course not bonded, an
illegal for the Treasury Department to advanS
money to an officer Of the army not bonded, Al
the reputation Wss returned 70 the Secretary
War 70 be cancelled The decision was une
pected and very embarrassing, as It revoked q
uniform practice OF the War and Treasury d
partments for many years past. The same que
zion was raised some years since in regard 70 II
disbursement OF the lighthouse appropriation
and 3 remedy was found IN an order from Il
. - r. Al
bursement TO officers Of the army and nETy d
tailed and ordered 70 disburse in the sever
lighthouse districts.
The ouartermaster st West Point. the OF
nance ohlcers at arsensls, acting as assistal
guartefmasters, the recruiting ofacers, the A
eistsnt Adiutants General at headquarters Of (
visions and department, the acting commissari
Ct EubSiEtsncs-all ohcers not bonded-haY
untn nov, been in the receipt Of moneys By
mittanee from the Treasury Of the United Statt
The acting Comptroller suggests. Is sremed
4hat the Secretary Of War draw his requisitio
IN favor Of 3 bonded officer and then transfer {
mails 20 the OfaeeF not bonded, but the Seoreta
1ails 70 see any more legality in doing this tn
IN drawing in favor Of The ofneer directly fro
he Treasury, but finds only an additional II
added 70 the already long chain Of circumiccutil
T7e effect Of this decision fsTery severely felt
ms recruiting service, ipi none Of tie oficers
tailed on that duty are bonded nor Is the al
tsnt General, who is charged By law with &
duty. Thus the recruiting service Is crippl
and the army has dEindled down 10 IS 900 m
EnU58 n5E bonded. u the law prohI67fS he !
vance Of moneys for disbursement to any dfsbu
ing ofncer not bonded, it applies as fully to
Tances b. transfer BY bonded oficers e 10 ,
Fances direct from the Treasury; and no disbu
ing ofhcer can be ordered By the War Deps
ment 70 violate law. Therefore, this deeisi
Suddenly arrests the process OF military q
eursementsi collects and confines the busin,
% the principal headquarters, IN the hands Of I
very lev ofneers who are bonded. The pub
creditor Of the military service throughout I
country VIII be compelled 70 part with his q
deness Of debt to brokers, bankers ana other nj
de men. Who viii charge q good commission. 4,
ne result wiz be that higher rates wiz
charged The Government for supplies 70 ref
brrle The contractor Tor his expenses Of o1iactfc
y g not 20 be supposed that the President y
adopt the suggestion Of the acting couptroiI,
and order bonds 70 Be given By lioutenants a. 3
line assigned % duty and ordered 70 act AZ a
bursing ofneers. They are mostly on the ~
Ter. generally poor, ana would have great an
Guilty n finding sureties willing to enter IA
bonds for the performance Of disagreeable A.
hazardous duty which they can avoid By simp
aFoHirg their inability TO secure bondsmen.
STAMPED FVVEIOPFE AFrr VIZ A pprp,