The record-union., 1896-11-16
A POOR DAY FOR SIGNALING.
But The HelioSraph ManipulatorS Did
Very Well.
Messages Exchanged With Auburn
The Members After the
State Record.

There are records and records. Some
people take an especial delight in
studying the records of the 'two-year-
olds," or the "2:15 Glass; or the six
furlong" runners; others bear in mind
the intercollegiate hundredyard anna
teur sprinter's time, and there are
cranks on bicycle racing, loot racing,
horse racing, yacht racing and all the
other kinds of racing. But whoever
heard of crank on photographic
records?
There are a few of them in this viii
1age. The members OF the Signal
Corps of the Third Brigade say they
want that State record. They had their
stations selected. Last Wednesday they
We're confident, by Friday they were
only hopeful, and on Saturday they
had almost given up the idea of get
ting a photographic flash out of town.
Weather Regulator Barwick was con-
suited. but it was of no avail. Ham
mon of San Francisco was appealed to,
but the answer came back: TT won't
be clear on Sunday. No use trying.
We're going to have a storm up in
Washington and you won't be in it,
or words to that effect.
The Signal Corps boys say they're not
meteorologists and therefore don't ex-
actly understand how high or low
pressure should effect them. 1t was
therefore determined to wait a little
while for the record, and to have
practice day on Sunday. Sergeant
Bailey was detailed by Lieutenant
Martin to take command of a station
in this city to communicate with the
detail of Sergeant Watkins at Auburn.
1t was but a few months ago that the
local Signal Corps held this line as
record-a distance of thirty-two miles.
The corps at Los Angeles beat them
during the past summer by communi-
eating between Black Jack, on Cata-
lima Island, and one of the Sierra
Madre peaks on the mainland, but
few weeks ago this record was broken
by the San Francisco corps of the Sec
ond Brigade, which exchanged mes
sages by heliograph between Mount
ST. Helena and Mount Tamalpais, a dis
tance of sixty-seven miles.
However, in spite of the cloudy
weather, the comparative lack of sun
and the discouraging reports received
from the weather observers, the Third
brigade corps were very SucCeSS1u1 IN
their efforts yesterday. Lieutenant Ira
a. Robie. Battalion Adjutant of the
Second Regiment formerly command
ing officer Of the Signal Corps of the
Third Brigade who was in Auburn
yesterday, demonstrated to his former
comrades that he had not forgotten
how to use or read a heliograph, and
was very much interested in the work
of his old command
In response to the urgent solicitation
Of the home station, as to the appetite
of Sergeant Watkins. Miss Towle of
this city was induced to inform the
Sacramento end that ii was 80. K" A
number of messages We're exchanged,
and then it was "the light that failed"
The weather conditions were any
thing but favorable for photographic
work, and the Third Brigade Signal
Corps is poorly equipped, having been
compelled to borrow telescopes from
San Francisco. But they are hard
workers Hardly a week passes but
they have a half days actual practice
in outdoor work. and many of the drill
evenings are devoted to night signal
ing by lanterns. Hence, given anything
like reasonable weather conditions. why
cannot our local corps break that State
record?