The Opelousas courier., 1893-07-01
TELEPHONES IN BATTLE
SUPPLYING THE DEFECTS OF Or
DERLIES AND SIGNALS.
Captain Ki1bourne's Device Adopted
by General 5recly - A Similar
Plan JTsed at TeI-eI-Keber.

cessity is the mother of invention"
Battles of the future, while terrible in
effect, will be brief in duration, and the
necessity of knowing at any time what
is required at the front will be eve
greater than in the past. Important
also is the knowledge of the enemy's
movements before and after battle.
Outposts and guards are established to
prevent surprises, and to hold in check
the advance of an enemy until the
main body cen be aroused and pre-
pared for the battle. Outposts are i'm
portant essentials to an army, and
rapid, secret communication between
them and headquarters must be main
tanned. General Greedy proposes to
establish, by simple, practical means,
all such necessary communication be-
tween brigades and divisions, divisions
and corps, and outposts with the main
guard, by the medium of an "outpost
cart" and its electric appurtenances.
The outpost cart which General
Greedy proposes to adopt for the
Army is the invention of Captain
Charles E. Kilbourne, of the Signal
Corps. The cart consists of a frame of
bicycle-steel tubing, one inch in di-
ameter, mounted upon thirty-two inch
bicycle wheels, with heavy cushion
tires. The cart is arranged to carry
five reels of cable, and one knapsack
containing an additional reel, for use
in places where the court cannot be
taken. The extreme width of the cart
is only twenty-six inches, and it can
follow any ordinary path. Its weight,
complete with spelling device, but
without the reels, is only fifty-five
pounds; when loaded with the reels
wound with wire, the cart weighs 159
pounds. The cart is we'll balanced, and
is attached to the axle by q device
which permits the point of support to
be changed as the distribution of the
weight is modified as the cabnuruns
out. Each reel carries about one-third
of a mile of double-conductor cable.
The ends of this cable have double
connectors, by means of which they
can be joined, SO as to extend the line.
In each reel the double connector hear
est She axle is {, qected by mea of
insulated wires, the inner conductorto
one end of the reel axle. and the out
side conductor to the other axle end
TIE axle ends bel lg insulated from each
other. kt the rear end of the cart is o
reel-ng apparatus, having an automatic
spooling attachment. To be unwound,
or wound up, the reel is placed in
brackets connected with the r~eeling
device. The end of the axle of this
reel, which is connected with the inner
conductor cable, is placed in brackets
on tie left of the cart. The socket of
this bracket is insulated from the rest
of the bracket. and therefore from the
frame of the cart. On this bracket is
found a double %conneetor, the insulated
screw of which is connected by On in
sulated wire to the insulated socket
and therefore with the inner conductor
cable. The outer part of the double
connector is attached to the frame of
the cart, and through this with the
bracket on the right of the cart. The
number of reels to be carried by O cart
is not necessarily limited to five. Any
reasonable additional number can be
carried in an emergency, or empty
reels can be detached from the cart
and new ones placed upon it, the ends
of the cables being readily connected.
There is practically no limit, therefore,
to the length of cables which may be
thus employed.
In connection with the cart two tel
ephone kits are used, and by attaching
the double connector of each kit to
one on the frame of the cart the tele-
phone is kept in circuit and conversa-
ton can be maintained. The kit is a
leather case, carried by ean of
shoulder straps, and contains the bat
terry, induction coil and the combined
long distance transmitter and receiv-
ing attachments. The connection be-
tween the telephone kit and the cart
may be kept up while Keeling out the
cable and communication with the home
station made continuous, so that orders
to the men with the cart can be sent at
all time, and they can make reports at
any moment to the officer in charge of
the home station. The cart, with its
load, al be readily drawn by one man
over ordinary roads. Shafts can be at
tached to the cart and, horse power
used when necessary. The wire can be
paid out as fast as the cart con be
moved. By means of the Keeling ap-
paratus the cable can be recovered
at the rate of about four miles
an hour, or faster if a horse is en-
ployed. The cart can also be used as
q field litter, and upon it a wounded
man can be comfortably and quickly
transported to the rear. In view of
the great distance wounded men must
how be carried to be out of danger,
and secure proper medical treatment,
this means of saving time, and en-
ployed as carriers, is of great import
Rnce.
A device somewhat similar to that
invented by Captain Kilbourne was
used with great ucces under varying
conditions of service by the English
forces in the recent campaign In
Egypt. At this time Sir Garnet Wolse-
ley and his staff were in constant and
reliable communication with all out
posts, as well as the firing line, during
engagements. At. the battle of Tel-el-
kebir field telephones were of par
ticular advantage in keeping the com
handing General constantly informed