Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-26
THE SIGNAL CORPS.
Gen. Greely's Remarks on Military Tele-
graph Lines and Balloons.

Oen. 1recIye Remarks on Military TeIe-
graph Lines and Balloons.
Gen. A. W. Greedy. chief signal officer in his
annual report to the Secretary Of War. pre-
sented yesterday, Is stated in THE STAB, dwells
at length upon the value to the country Of the
900 miles of military telegraph lines which have
been successfully maintained in operation dur
ing the year BY the signal corps. As ali instance
he cites the Use Of the Fort Mckinney line dur
ing the cattle war in Wyoming and Of the line
between Forts Brown and Ringgold, Tex,
during the Cara troubles. This latter line it
is proposed to extend from Fort Ringgold to
Pena. on the Mexican National railway.
With an eye to the demands Of modern war
fare special attention has been given to the
equipment Of field or flying telegraph trains for
armies operating away from the permanent
telegraph lines of the country. The field tele-
phone kit wherewith a moving line can keep in
communication with its brigade or division
commander. has been satisfactorily devised.
For the first time since the war the signal corps
constructed a field telegraph line for the use Of
the Mexican boundary commission between
Separ, n. NJ. and the Corner" a distance Of
fortv-two miles.
Twelve miles Of wire was run the first day in
eight hours. In seventeen days the command
unioaded the material, erected and main tanned
the line In an unfavorable country until it was
no longer required and dismantled and shipped
it, all with unframed help, for the officers.
Much 81 ace is devoted to a summary Of the
experiments made BY other nations with mill
tary balloons, an exclusively American idea
first used By Gen. Porter and developed by
European military powers. 1t is said that 20
far these experiments have not yet proved the
ad'isability Of replacing the captive balloon Of
Gen. Porter by free balloons. but the important
part to be played in future wars by free dr,g
ible balloons or by flying machines Is said to be
unquestionable. Consequently q balloon Sec
ton lie being organized with each fving tele-
graph train to operate captive balloon to col
lecJ military information and transmit it to the
ground by telephone cable. The English svs-
TEN of captive skin balloon with portable
cylinders containing hydrogen gas under the
great pressure of 100 atmospheres has been
adopted as the standard. BY this system the
men may fill the balloon and make an ascent Ct
half mile or more in half an hour Such a
balloon will be exhibited by the signal corps at
the worlds fair next year.
The heliograrh. has been perfected so that
messages may be sent bv its light beam dis
tances ranging GO to 100 miles.
The obvious advantage arising from concerted
action Ill harbor defense, insured through re-
liable and instant communication between the
more important forts and harbor defenses, has
led Gen. Greedy to submit special estimate Of
$4,000 TO initiate system Of military cables
and connecting land lines in New York, Boston
and San Francisco.
A simple system of whistle signals based on the
service code has been devised for the transmits
sion Of orders to troops in the extended or open
formation and is now under consideration by
the major general commanding.
In conclusion Gen. Greedy speaks encourag-
ingly Of the growing interest in signal work
manifested by the militia OF the United States.
and he suggests that the militia act be amended
SO as TO permit signal stoves to be issued to the
state guards upon acquisitions Is part of their
allotments.