Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-06-27
HELIOGRAPH LINES.
One That Is 0ver One Thousand
 Miles in Length.
Progress in 6ignaling-A Battlo-Essld TslePhone-signaliAe Under waesr-
 Other N0v0ltaes in Signals Oovisod .fs - by American Invontara


 TelePhone-signaling Under Wassr-
 Other Novelties in signals Devised .t@ by American Inventsrs.
 signal-service officials are watching just now with keen interest the re- suit of the most extensive experiments ever undertaken in optical telegraphy., This is the operation of . heliograph line over one thousand miles in length, extending from Fort Stanton, in New Mexico, to Whipple barracks, in Ari- zona, with ramifoations leading to Forts McDowel, Lowell, Huachuca and Bay ard.
 ''The entire Hne," said MT. Bernard porter, "places in communication twen- ty-fve signal stations and commands . section of country of the utmost impor- tance in warfare against hostile Indi- ans. Tho terminal stations connect with the general telegraph system of the country, and thus bring the inmost recesses of Arizona's and New Mexico's vastness into close relation with the seat of Government, fact of which Q message received 8 few days ago at tho Signal Office from General Greedy, who is at present in Arizona witnessing the practical operation of the line, is an in- contestable proof. The message was written by the General on Bowie peak, and flashed from summit to summit over gaps from forty to forty-dve miles in ex- tent. to the western terminal station, touching sucoessively Mount Graham, Table butte, Saddle peak, Final mount aims, Lookout peak, Bakers butte, Squaw peak, Bald mountain and Whip. pie barracks, where it was transferred to the electric telegraph for transmis- sion to this city.
 "The plan of this gigantic undertak. ing was conceived and carried out by an able and energetic officer, Colonel W. J. Volkmar, who is well remembered in this city and has charge of the signal service in the Department of Arizona. General Greedy, recognizing the possi- ble advantages offered, in military point, by the well-planned project, left nothing undone to make the experiment. l a success, and furnished the entire line with the best equipment at his disposal. l He provided each station with one or l moro heliographs of the latest pattern for flashing the messages, reports and in l formation of value onward. This mys- terious little instrument Is extremely simple to manipulate when understood, and in the hands of an experienced signalist yields the most surprising re- suits, and becomes 8 potent factor in the field.
 "Imagine mirror about four inches square so arranged on tripod or other support that the rays of the sun refect- ed from It's surface may be thrown on any point desired and kept there by means of revolving screws to compen- sate for the apparant motion of the sun. This is a heliograph. To transmit 8 message it will only be necessary to in- tercept the reflected rays by means of a screen and operate the latter SO as to reveal to the distant station flashes of various durations representing the dots and dashes of the American Morse telegraph code. Any telegraph operator may therefore become expert in the manipulation of the instrument with but little practice, and it was this fact that led General Greedy to recommend the adoption of the American Morse code for signaling purposes. In addition to heliographs the line was also equipped with telescopes, field glasses, compasses, and, in fact, every thing necessary to enable the signal officers to scan the surrounding country from, their lofty stations and make correct reports of any unusual occurrences within,,the radius of vision to the nearest military post or to The authorities in this city, if required.
 ''The possibilities of the heliograph are not yet fully developed, and only within the past two years have messages been exchanged over range of seventy five miles, while quite recently Colonel I Volkmar has demonstrated that the in- strument is quite effective at distances | of over ninety-dve miles. The instru- ments in use were designed at the Sig nal office, and, although it is not gen. erally known, the officials are always on the qui vive for improvements of value to the army. The latest device is . field telephone equipment, but the name walking telephone is much more suggestive. It cons ists of receiver, transmitter and key ingeniously arr "a nged in small sole-leather pouch. A soldier provided with this equipment and a reel of very light double conductor wire ca rried in a knapsack on his back may move all over the field and still be enabled to maintain constant communi- cation with the central station or start ing point. A mile of wire is carried without difficulty. On the field of bat tie or for outpost duty this equipment will be indispensable; it fulfls the re- quirements of instant and constant communication. The commander-in- chief of an army watching the progress of battle from his station need no longer send his adjutants to and fro with orders for the disposition of his forces; this equipment will do it without loss of val- uable time.
 Another device, still in the embryon- ic state, contemplates the utilization of water as the transmitting medium, and the result of preliminary trials speaks we'll for the inventor. The construction of the contrivanoe is secret, but some idea of it's usefulness may be obtained from the fact that it will effect communi-