Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-13
SIGNALS AND BALLOONS
Experiments May Be Conducted by the
Signal Corps.
Aerial Navigation and Military
Science-ObservntiOn In the An
nunl Report of Gen. Greedy.

Gen. A. W. Greely, chief signal officer,
has mace his annual report to the Secre-
tary of War of the operations of the sig
nal corps of the army during the past fiscal
year: The system of field or flying telegra-
ply, initiated by the United States curing
the war for the Union,' Gen. Greely says,
has kept pace in its development with the
astonishing advances Of electrical science.
Other nations have gradually adopted
American methods. The Japanese army
carried it's flying telegraph line into Seoul
the day after its capture. The late Italian
campaign al Massowa, the British Ashanti
expedition, and the present advance on
DorgCla alike exemplify the Indispensable
ity of such military lines. In the last case
cabiegrams Intimate that the flying tele-
graph line stopped at -he crossing of the
Nile for lack of cable, which, as shown
elsewhere, is considered an essential part
OF the flying train of the American army.
Military Balloons.
The addition of a balloon section to the
field telegraph trains for the purpose of
collecting and transmitting military in
formation" Gen. Greely says, 'brngs into
special Importance the question of aerial
navga ton. Ballooning forms one Of the
general branches of such navigation where
In is used first, an apparatus lighter than
air, or, second, heavier than air. The sig
ral corps in equipping balloon section
for use in correction with each field tele-
graph train is simply simplifying the ideas
OF Gen. Ftz John Porter, enunciated early
in the war of the rebellion. The utility and
Importance of balloons for obtaining mill
tary Information during field operations
were fully demonstrated by Gen. Porter,
but, with many other American ideas, such
as repeating arms. etc, proved too ad-
vancei for the time. and had to await
| recognition and development by. the Mill
| tary authorities of other nations. The
| United States, the first nation to use bal
| looms in war; as it was first to the
| electric telegraph and signal paraphernaiia
on the field Of Datrle. has been outStripped
| as these ideas have been adopted and i'm
proved 10y all other important military
powers.
Improved methods of equipment, manipu-
| latton and transportation have come with
| improved industrial and inventive methods,
| but to the present day there have been no
experiments sufficiently satisfactory to
| prove the advisab:lty of replacing the cap
! either for extended reconn distances or as
| Instruments of offensive warfare The I'M
portant part to be played in future wars
by free drieible balloons or by flying ma
! chimes is unquestioned."
| Gen Greely says:
The experiments of such able scientists
| as Prof. Langley in The United States.
| Col Duchemin, French engineer, and Mr..
! Maxim, have convinced many Intelligent
| men of the practicabiity of aerial naviga-
| ton by air ships heavier than air. The
future success of such navigation now
| awaits a motor considerably lighter than
| those now used. The successful expert
| ments made by Prof. Langley in flights
! with his aeroplane during the past year
| would indicate that the solution of this In.
| tere sting ard important problem is not far
| distant. Meanwhile the chief signaI officer
| has taken such action to place on eff
| cient footing a model captive balloon sec
| ton, suitable a part of the field train
! as facilities and appropriations have per.
mitted. This work has progressed at For
! Logan, Col, under the supervision of Capt
w. a. Glassford, signal corps, rho has
| now at that post silk balloon of 14,0Ot
| cubic feet capacity nearly complete; &
| balloon wagon with cable drum, captive
! cables and accessories, complete: four tub,
! wagons and accessories; one service wagon
gas generating apparatus; a compressor
for impounding gas in tubes, and 1SD stee
| tubes. in which gas is compressed t,
one one-hundredth or northumberland
| twentieth of its volume. A balloon house
essential for economical practice has bee,
authorized by the War Department. and Il
| now in process of construction, and whe,
completed will permit of ascensions in al
weathers. A special estimate of $1O,OOO Il
submitted for construction and experiment.
with balloons. and it is hoped 1t may NEE
the approval of the Secretary of War an,
of Congress-.