The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-04-10
ARMY TELEGRAPH.
Notable Advance in the Develop
ment of the System.
The Same Wire Can Be USED LOT
Telephoning or Telegraphing.

The imperative need OF the army OF
the United States of electrical COM
munication has been strikingly de-
monstrated in the great value which
the present system has proved Itself
to be within the last year. There are
today 7sO miles of permanent mill
tary telegraph lines in this country'aii
operated by the Government slgnai
corps.
There has been notable advance
in tho development of the combined
telegraph and telephone apparatus IN
use. In fact, it is now possible 1or
an operator to carry in his hand
telegraph and telephone office COM
bined. While one soldier is telegraph
ing o message in Morse character
another soldier may talk over the wire
telephonically with another station
and each of the receiving operators
will hear only his own message.
A curious fact in connection with
the government telegraph lines Is that
it has been found necessary to make
the testing boxes, which are located
about ten miles apart, cast iron ana
bullet proof. This is because OF the
fondness of the COW puncher Tor shoot-
ing off the insulators and various por-
tions of the test boxes. Although
such incidents occur at very frequent
intervals, SO carefully are the govern
meut systems in the West watched that
interruptions are quickly repaired, SO
onickly that loss of time practically
amounts to nothing.
Here is field also in which tho bi-
cvcle plays an important part, for 1t
: is by the aid of tine wheel that the
u breaks are SO quickly located and such
10 GOOD time made from the stations to
. them. far less than would be the re-
Is sult even if the lineman rode horse
While the permanent telegraph
lines under the control of the Chiei
:, Signal Officer of the armywere origin
ally constructed purely for military
:. purposes, they subserve large com
: mercial interests. The tariff charge
~ for messages averages about fifteei
~ cents. for ten words. The number o
10 messages transmitted over the govern
~ ment wires, consisting OF government
IA state and other business, aggregate
oh 81. 949, and these figures only indicat
-, the business transacted on lines hand
ling paid commercial messages.
The number of messages affords bu
nd a slight idea OF the amount OF bushes
=, transacted, for the reason that me
so. sage may contain only two words.
r. on the other hand, it may contain Sc
Cd eral hundred. From local and
.rv military point of view the important
tho of military lines is very great. n
not only do they increase and suoserve u
hin economical interests of the cover
Tho ment. but they are OF inestimao
tor value to commercial interests.
nd. The most notable advance made dr
,ox. ing the year in military telegraphy
or. the combined telegraph and telepho
.l,v apparatus referred to. The whole OF
in fit weighs sixteen pounds, includi
10 a battery enough to work over any liz
II line which tue corps might be call
but on to operate. The Importance
IA this means of communication '
81 practically demonstrated on the m
ked. tary cable between Angel Island
+ba Tiburop, CAL, when complete
into terruption OF communication by
the grounding OF each of the three
not dnetors of the cable was report
This grounding was so complete
open telegraph instruments with bait
,oua was worked between any two cond
wav tors of either of the land ends,
, the dition that is rarely found. exc
where complete severance OF
cable exists. Under these conditi'
when communication by any o.
given method was impracticable, one OF
ue new inventions referred to was
aheA nected with each end of the ca
ae' With only eight cells of batter
iNe' use REORGANIZATION was
car fected.
Every military post in the Ur
Id be States which SO desires has been
'idual piled with telephones and wire FOL
,phis. purpose of establishing electrical
lance nection and communication on ia
annot ranges. Perhaps one OF the mos
nortant changes in the govern
, that methods of electrical commune
de to ia the return, which has Just
crime placed in operation, to what Is G
could, the Myer system OF signaling 10
would purpose of enabling the army an