Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-24
THE MILITARY TELEGRAPH.
Lines Of Wire Now Operated By che
GOvernmenr.


TWO THOUSAND MILES OF WIRE now Used FOR NIL.
fARY PuRPosKs-THE COST OF MAINTAINING LINES
In The wTLDs OF THE wEsT-ru sEAcosT rKIs-
GRAPH AND rrs PuRPosEA
The subject OF Government telegraph lines forms
an interesting chapter in Gen. Greely's annual
report, just submitted to the War Department
he says: The telegraph room OF the central ONCE
mas been conducted with the same efficiency as
mas characterized 1t In past years, and all work
has been most satisfactorily and promptly done.
In addition TO the receipt OF more than million
words OF cipher reports, and the Transmission Of
about $4,000 service kilograms, the men OF this
room have also been charged with auditing the
large and Intricate telegraph bills connected with
the work OF this service. Judging from the grave
Measurements publicly made, regarding military
telegraph lines operated by this service. there
must be a misapprehension as TO their location,
use and extent This service has built In the past
fourteen years about $50 miles OF military tele.
graph lines, which fortunately the rapid advance
OF settlement and civilization has reduced to less
than z, 600 miles
THE GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH LINES
operated by the service are OF two classes: LIST.
The military lines proper, maintained for military
purposes only, but which also transact such COM
mercal business as may offer. I'd. The seacoast
lines, which are OF no value so far any mill airy
necessity now existing Is concerned, but which
are OF great value TO maritime interests and to
residents and visitors at or the points through
Wnlch these lines are built There are In existence
at this time ,9O5 miles OF telegraph lines which
are used Tor strictly military purposes, and In
connection with which four officers, fortysix en-
Lifted men, and thirty three civilians OF this corps
are now serving. These are frontier telegraph
INES, used Tor facilitating military operations in
insuring safety TO the settlers by the presence.
IL mas been alleged that these lines are for meteor
ologlcal purposes, and they have been even cred
iteo WITH doing an amount or weather telegraph
Ing equal 10 that OF ali the commercial lines of the
country. The weather observations made at the
ofnces OF the military telegraph lines are simply
INCIDENT 10 the service, and II the entire 1,9O5
miles OF lines were abandoned to-day the ef1i-
cheney of the general weather service would be tn
the weather bureau for the operation and mainte-
nance or these lines is In reality q part OF ordi-
nary Army expenses for military purposes, the
execution OF which devolves, by the strict terms
OF the act OF Congress- June 81 1874. on the Chief
Signal Oncer OF The Army.
THEIR MILITARY VALUE.
The value OF most OF these lines, from Q military
standpoint, cannot be questioned. 1t is apparent
TO every soldier that Arizona and New Mexico
could not be efficiently protected against Indian
outbreaks without the greater part OF these mill.
tary lines, ana the value OF the Rio Grande line,
Ia AVOIDING serious complications on the Mexican
frontier, has been set forth by the experiences Of
the past month. These lines transact for settlers
Such commercial business Is presented and the
receipts from this source aggregatlDg for the past
year Il, l12o4, have been turned into the Treas
ury. Tue assi egate expenditures, including sala-
rieS OF officers and men OF the Signal Corps
amounts tO s66 200, exclusive OF assistance given
by the use Oh Army teams and labor which II hired
In open market would have cost about $50, 600
more"
miles or line, the Government sold during the year
l3o between GeDOlne and Poplar River There
are In the Department OF The Missouri 23e miles;
miles were butt 1rom Miami to Fort Elliott,
ana 30 miles were sold Ucm Fort supply to Fort
Elliott There were nc changes In the DEPART
Hents OF Texas and California, the former con-
lurr mill
Department OF the Columbia contains 253 miles
During the year 30 miles were sold from Fort Spo-
IONA contains greater length OF line than any
other, It's Inquire being $40. Tue line from Phoenix
70 Maricopa, 30 miles, was sold, and also 2 miles
at Fort huachuca. There are 37o miles IN the De.
partnenI OF the Platte, which contained the great
est number OF changes. Tue line from Fort Rob-
inson TO Crawford, miles, was abandoned. A
nne 81 niles In length was built from Fort Du
Chesne 10 Price Station The line from Fort
Mckinney TO Powder River, 81 miles was trans
Army. The service leased and repaired l52 miles
Oh Lne from RawllnS 10 Fort Washable.
COSTLY SECTION.
The line from Poplar River to Fort Magipns In
the Department OF Dakota, 232 miles In length is
the most costly OF all the telegraph lines con-
nected with this service. The intervening country
Is Wild and desolate In the extreme, and generally
Without Inhabitants, so that at Galpin, the repair
station, this service Is obliged TO maintain, al an
expense or 81 $50 per year, Two civilian repairmen
since one Will hot live there alone The total re.
celptS from the line during the past year were
sloo.l7, while the cost TO the Government Tor
maintaining and operating the section is over
81, O0O annually.
Inc Chief signal Onlcer continues the policy Of
abandoning and selling military telegraph lines
whenever the advance OK railways or the extension
OF the general Telegraph system affords the
Government an opportunity or reaching military
stations over private wire No lines are ex tended
nor are any general repairs made without the
recommendations OF the commanding general OF
the Army 70 the effect tA. such expenditures are
necessary Tor military purposes.
sEA-coAsr TELEGRAPH LINES
There We're In operation at the end OF the fiscal
year SOL miles OF sea-coast telegraph lines The
only line constructed during the year was built
under the act approved February IL, 1887, and
extends from TltuSvile, Fla, To Jupiter Fla. $50
miles 1nis line connects tine nle-saving and
lighthouse stations at Jupiter with Tit1svllIe,
aud Is Used W report all vessels passing near the
station. The construction OF the line cost
s16,ll159; its annual expense for operation and
Maintenance VIII be between $1,000 and "a, 900,
and The receipts 5000.
The section between Wilmington and Southport
N e., Is valuable 70 shipping interests owing 10
the facilities 1t offers for storm warnings and the
reporting OF vessels. The annual cost OF mainIe-
nance and operation Is about s., 900, and the In
come about $40. The HaJteras section, from Hat
teris lnlet, Wa Caps Henry, to Cape Charles by
cable, and Norfolk BY line, was formerly OF very
great value. There has been no year In which
LIE and property have not been saved on the
North Carolina coast by the operation Of this line
Within the present year The British steamer KIM
UcIIy slIduutu near WaSn-WOOuS, and through
the prompt Call OF the signal Corps operator the
crew, Cargo and steamer were saved. The vessel
and cargo were valued at 100000 The march OF
Invention. and the extension OF the Llfe-Savlng
Service, ren4er II practicable for the surImen W
operate this line with Telephone apparatus, as Is
now done along the New Jersey, Delaware and
virginia coasts such a course would prevent the
duplication OF Government paid force and re-
II We TINS service from tue annual expenditure OF
experienced operators entails. Inc receipts from
the line barely amount 10 a dollar a day.
Ihe line from Narragansett Pier 10 Block Island
had cost the GoVerninent about 600 In the past
eight years, exclusive OF the annual EXPENSES
which asgregats about 1900, against an annual
income vi xiOO The line Is VI Value BLOCK Island
anu, Incidentally, 10 shipping interests
AN IMPORTANT SERVICE
The most important and valuable line ON
the Atlantic coast Is the telegraph system
connecting Nantucket and Marthas VINEYARD
with Woods Hol, which has cost the Gov
eminent about $4,000, apart from the an
nual expense OF maintenance, which is about
5000; the Income Is about 81 900 annually These
llues furnish communication 10 ABOUT 600 neonie
througho the year, and 10 about 40 600 during
the summer months. The must important uses o1
the lines, however, are LOT the dlspl.y OF storm
signals for the Dene1t or the 90 600 vessels when
annually pass Gay Head, and the summoninv or
assistance for scores OF vessels In distress Th ice
blockadt OF January, 1883, Caught over flrty YES
sells In the Ice within SguL OF Nantucket In IL had
not been for this system or cables, by which now
erIul tugs and revenue cutters were Summoned
from ali quarters, there would have been se,1ons
losses Of life and properly. IL Is believed thaI in
this single instance, apart from human life pre-
served, the original cost OF Land lines and cables
WASe h.