Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-08
C.. iii. DAWSON,
Jeweler, HOS F Street.

ment CT the reflection caused by the eartb,s
motion. Should the sun be In the opposite
direction, a second mirror Is attached to
the front of the sight vaEe
The latest improved instrument now used
by the War Department has larger mir
for ami shutter attachment for breaking
me sun rays, but In other respects it is
similar to the MacGregor.
The work of operating these tnstru
ments as now performed is necessarily yery
slow The operator uses the Morse tele-
eraph alpnapet, flashing the characters by
means OF the shutter in dots and dashes.
a snort flash representing a dot and a long
Hash dash, the same as with the tele
graph key, spelling the words out in full,
reads the flashes by aid of field classes
mounted signal operator, besides his
teieSraphing outfit, composed of q kew
sounder and relay on one base, for use
a Photograph and "wig-wag" signaling ont.
MT (the latter is merely flag attached to
1ointed rod, for use where the distance Is
put =. snort tr ard Is operated by making pass
and dashes), fitted in a leather case.
Bicycle Signal Corps.
Washington seems to be the Mecca of all
telegraph operators, nearly every tele-
grapher of note having ct some time work.
ed here, and there are now in the service
of the Western Union and Postal Tele
tons here large number of experts. who
are also expert wheelmen, and who, by the
way, comprise the very flower Of the pro-
fess1on. Among some of the most promi-
rent OF these men an effort has for some
time been on foot to organize a bicvcIe
signal corps, the members Of which would
De mounted on light wheels of a special de-
sign, so arranged as to carry the necessary
instruments and yet be portable
In using the horse, 1t is necessary when
ascending steep hill to signal to leave
the animal at the foot, possibly to stray or
be stolen. The wheel, it is argued, by be-
ing portable, could easily be shouldered
and carried along, thus insuring a mount
home or to camp. In case of war, the lot
of the signal man is not by any means an
enviable one. 1t often becomes necessary
and run for his life; for that reason n is
desirable to have his mount close at hand
and also absolutely necessary that he
should transmit his messages with the ut
most dispatch
To accomplish the latter, the originators
of the prospective bicycle corps propose to
Use code or abbreviation Of words, similar
to those used by the press ASSOCIATIONS nd
with which most of the first-class operators
here are familiar.
What is Thought of the PIan.
By the use Of this code, 1t Is estimated. a
saving of fifty per cent of the time occupied
in spelling message out in full would be
erected OF course, for this work the verv
best operators would be required.
Gen. Ordway, while not opposed to the
idea, says 1t would be necessary for the
operators to enlist in the National Guard in
the usual way, as militiamsn. and in case
of necessity they could then be assigned to
the signal corps, but is of the opinion thew
cannot enter Is an Independent corps.
The would-be signal men, however do NOT
take kindly to this view, there being IN
their opinion, too much distinction between
carrying gun and acting as signal oper
ators, and they cannot just see where thew
could use the gun in their line; besides. thew
have their hands full carrying instruments
and propelling their machines
While Gen. Miles was out Of the CITY
when delegate called to present the mat
ter to him, 1t was said by an officer yerv
high In the signal corps, and who Is the
right-hand man of eGn. Greedy, the CHIEF
OF the signal corps, that Gen. Miles was an