Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-01-06
SIGNAL SERVICE CORPS.
What H. Before ms Men who
Apply for EnIistment.



TO serve in The signsl service il 10
receive thorough and valuable eluca-
ton. no matter II the nls;n who ms en-
listed takes advantage IT the earliest
opportunity to obtain sis discharge.
He has acquired methoaical business
habits; has become good telegraph
operator and good mathematician.
Before . man can enlist an the service
ne must satisfactorily pas al examina-
ton which requires that's his education
mas not been neglected. Indeed. some
Of the applicants for enlistment have
been graduates Of colleges. Asrsgards
intelligence IN the ranks, the corps il
Tar superior to the rest Of the army.
When man is accepted Sin the service
ne y ordered to duty lit Fort 1iyep
where ne undergoes o thorough train
Ing to iit him for the suties he is to
perform In the future. There he il
drilled In the usual duties Of soldiers.
and In addition. is taught signaling in
all its branches. telegrapay. the use of
the various meteorological instruments.
tee modes Of observation, and the
forms and duties required at stations
OF observation. The tenn Of duty at
Fort Myer Is six months, land by that
time hs Is pretty well versed in the
duties ne Is to perform. He is gener-
ally sent t. some one Of the many sta
tons for duty. His course here is
watched. and his record Is kept accur-
ately. His chances for promotion rest
on the manner In which he performs
his duties and the record he makes.
No further examination is required up
to the rank OF sergeant. For pro-
motion TO lieutenancy. however. It is
necessary to undergo i very thorough
examination. The chief signal officer
annually selects q number Of serjeants
who shall compete for thetwo positions
In the grade of lieutenant created an
nually. The examinasions are held in
this city, unless IL Ii impossible for a
candidate to come here, when he is ex-
amined at his station. The new lieu
tenants are at once transferred to Fort
Myer, where they are INSTRUCTED in the
higher branches Of meteorology. Even
after that they must serve year or
two in the signal Office III this city be-
fore they are competent for Indication
work.
This Indication work is very wear
ing. One officer is on this duty for a
month. He Is obliged to be at the Of
Gee until 1890 or o'clock 1T night,
and he must be at his desk again at 8
o'clock the next morning His morn
ing WORK keeps him at the Office until
lo'clocK, and he is again on duty at 5
o'clock in the afternoon.
There are $50 stations. In all. but
there are only Observation-Disclosures
ical stations from which. daily telc-
graphicreports are received. Observa-
tons are taken precisely the sane min
ute Of Washington time at IA. nj. 3
r. H.. and II r. n. At all the stations.
Two additional observations. not for
telegraphing except ia special cases,
are taken at II 4. n. and 7p. II. These
simultaneous reports furnish the data
upon which the weather charts are
ormed. The governments owns and
operates through the chief signal Off
Ger several thousand niles Of telegraph
line, and this. together with other lines.
the use Of which is secured when nee
essarys forms cham which connects
all parts Of this broad Continent with
the signal Office At Washington, where
al the weather Information Is concen-
trated simultaneously and then sent
broadcast over the land for the benefit
of the public. Woshingtoa Slar.