The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-02-21
USE FOR LIGHTNING
Important Part Played by Eec-
tricity in Eastern Hostilities.
The General Adoption Of TeleEraphss
Communicates by the AiksA0's Pee
plc-Japsnese Are Adopts
In the Art

| It IS interesting to note the important
part played by electrical appliances IN
the war between China and Japan The
Japanese especially are quick to turn
to account any advantage offered by
scientific appliances, and in Corea
they have materially strengthened
their hands by taking possession of the
lines and stations of the telegraph
service. Their men are trained in con-
struction as well as in actual manipu-
letion, says the Chicago Tribune, and
can be trusted to keep the lines in
working order as long as they retain
control.
The mikado's people have taken very
kindly to the telegraph since its intro
duction in 1870. Their first installation
of couple of short lines, about forty
miles long altogether, speedily grew
into four thousand miles, and now the
wires devoted TO the service measure
close on twenty-six thousand miles, in
cluding several submarine cables of
various lengths, one of the longest be-
ing that connecting Nippon (the main
island) with Tsu-shima, the largest
island midway between Japan and
Corea, position which, as may be
readily imagined, is just now of the ut
most strategical Importance
So well, indeed, have these clever
copyists appropriated and utilized the
telegraphic developments of western
civilization that there is now hardly q
point on the coast more than a few
hours distant from a telegraph Office,
so that fleet runner could convey the
news of hostile descent to the adja-
cent outpost, and defensive force be
called to the threatened region in less
time than 1t would take the Cinnamon
to determine upon their point of at
tack
This was demonstrated very clearly
in 1875, when the news Of the Setsuma
rebellion was brought by boatman
to Kumamoto in one night, and flashed
to the capital almost before the insur-
gents rear guard had cleared from
Kagoshima. The consequence was that
the rebel Gen. Saigo was promptly
met and snuffed ont before he had
reached the territory in which his
forces might have become dangerous
through being augmented by pumer-
GUS sympathizers. But for the tele-
graph there would doubtless have been
serious trouble, for it would have
taken fortnight for runner to reach
the capital. and the delay would have
been all in favor of Saigo.
In the matter of field telegraphy,
too, the japanese are adopts, their
porta ble instruments, etc, being mod
eled upon apparatus which they have
imported from Europe. The posts are
made in sections with spiked bases to
stick in the soil. and the wire runs out
from reels on light hand barrows. The
Japanese are entirely undisturbed by
any considerations as to patent in
fringement. When the first telephone
receiver reached japan from America
it was received with delight and en-
thusiasm, and within a week or SO
there were some Edison receivers of
native make being experimented upon
The police and fire brigade systems Of
telephonic alarms and calls now es-
tabilshed in Japan are complete in
every detail. Many of the japanese
vessels are furnished with the electric
light, and it is stated that the manipu-
lation of the projectors is remarkably
efficient.
Notice has been given that owing to
the outbreak of the war lights on the
Formosa coast have been extinguisheG.
and no doubt others, both in Japan and
China, will also be put out or false
lights substituted to suit the purpose
of either. 1t will therefore be neces-
sary for all steamers navigating those
waters to be extremely careful, aud a
correspondent of London daily sug-
gests that one of the best precautions
is to use the submarine sentry" as by
its aid vessel going at ten knots can
be assured that it has at least twenty
fathoms of water under its keel, and
warning is given on board if less depth
is reached, thus giving ample time for
position to be verified. The submarine
sentry" is a recently invented electrical
arrangement for giving the warning
mentioned.