Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-06
LONG DISTANCE SIGNALING.
A Scheme For Sending Heliograph Mes
sages From Washington State to Mexico.

A Scheme For Sending Photograph Mes
sages From Washington State to Mexico.
Tho Mazamns of Portland, II they can
secure the assistance Of any OF the uniycr-
sity and scientific organizations, military
signal corps or athletic and outing clubs
along tho coast, will cndeavor to send n
photograph message from Washington to
Mexico. Tho Alazamas are club Of
mountain climbers at Portland, Or, and
have selected July 10 next as the date for
the transmission Of the sun flashes They
will begin signaling from Mount Adams,
using the Morse system for the purpose.
II. Brook White, secretary of the Mazamns,
has recently organized clnsses in Portland,
which have begun me preliminary study
and work necessary to the successful ma.
nipulation Of the instruments.
II successful, it will be the longest dis.
lance message has ever been transmitted
by sun flashes The Mazlmas have invit-
ed tho government officers and various
state military organizations TO arrange
details. Professor Davidson of the coast
and geodetic survey who has had consider
able experience in transmitting hello
graphic messages, was asked last night II
he thought the Mazamas' undertaking
could DO successfully accomplished. He
said;
Professor S. S, Hawkins of Portland,
formerly OF tho University of California,
has written to mo to interest me in this
matter, and l have been preparing letter
In answer thereto. OF course the subject
presented by the Mazamas, or mountain
goats, is very interesting one, and some
season 1t may be accomplished, but there
Will DO much to learn and systematize be-
fore they succeed
In the first place, the mountains named
by the Mazamas along the crest limo Of the
Cascades and Sierra Nevada arc not in all
cases intervisiblo. For example, south OF
Shasta the limo adopted by the coast and
geodetic survey Is Shasta, Lassen, Butte,
Lola, Round Top, Conness and possibly
whitney, or by another route, Shasta
Snow mountain, Mount Helena Mount
Dlablo and possibly Whitney. / am con-
WINGED that have seen Shasta from Di-
ablo, 2ii miles, and Whitney, 222 miles.
BUT besides determining beforehand the
best lines to follow full season with well
organized parties will be necessary to de.
torinlne the intervisihle line and that
ireest from clouds. The latter Is ono of
the great drawbacks In the work of the
oolst and geodetio survey. Where q sta
tion could readily be finished in 10 DAYS.
tho parties have some time been fighting
for sights through two months and moro
AS to tho distance to which these sin.
nails may DO sent little is known by actual
experience outside the coast and geodetic
survey, which has used them over n line
OF l92 miles-Mount Helena to Mount
shasta-and over SO mile line in Arizona
mtely repeated by the signal coIps Of the
army. have seen tho heliograph signals
100 miles with the naked eye in rare cases
OF ilne weather. For all the cases OF inter.
Visibility l have got out formula deter
mining the size OF tho mirror for any dis.
lance In example, the line from Diablo
70 Shasta requires mirror n little more
than II inches square to give signals that
VIII Do visible in telescope of three
lhohes objective With mirror 20 inches
square expect to SEQ the signal with tbe
naked eye. Moreover, tho character az tbe
mirror must be of the very best plate glass
ana pure silver back surface. with an adj.
alt'onai reflector, II the sun is behind the
There Is no part of the United States
where this experiment can be so well tried
ana tried successfully, as on this seabonrd
out IL VIII take time system and orgnnI.
Iatioh TO make sure thing of IT. The
~ Solor Inc Mazamas get the matter in line
inc sooner will the successful season
come San Francisco Chronicle,