The record-union., 1898-08-01
MILITARY SIGNALING.
IMPROVISED TELEGRAPH AND
TELEPHONE LINES.
Long-Distance Work With Hello
graphs, Flags and Lanterns
Details of Equipment.


From the headquarters OF every ue
partment commander of United STATES
troops there went to the South las
week that which certain General apt
ly termed the ''eyes of the army -the
men and apparatus by whlcn 'ne
various detachments of Uncle oain
forces of invasion and occupation VIII
keep in communication. Certainly the
signaling department OF the army up
on which will devdlve the task Oh lIee-
ing Cuba from Spanish rule is not Only
one of the most important, but also the
most interesting branches Of the ser
vice It's operations are picturesque
and it's paraphernalia is of kind 10
appeal to that element in human nature
which delights in mystery.
Among the operations, says the chi
cago Post for which the signal
branch of the army is prepared is that
OF laying telegraph and telephone wires
from the back of a galloping horse,
taking observations and photographs
of the enemys forces from the basket
of an anchored balloon and heliograph-
ing our warships while they are still
q great distance out at sea. Not a rev
of the most important devices with
which the work of signaling will be con-
Quoted in Cuba and along the Atlantlc
and Gulf coasts are of comparatively
recent use. and never have been put to
the test in a campaign of serious mag
nitude. They have been subjected 10
elaborate and searching trials, now
ever and it is believed by those VINO
have devoted years of study to TINS
branch of military service that the
United States is not behind the fore
most nation of Europe in the matter OF
facilities for intercommunicatlon Dy
signal code.
The persevering and thorough drill in
signaling which has characterized the
work of the National Guard and the
Naval Militia in general is matter for
sincere congratulation in the present
grave national crisis.
THE REGULAR ARMY SIGNAL
CORPS.
The Signal Corps of the regular army
consists of ten officers, including Chief
Greedy, and fifty Sergeants 1t is
probable that nearly all the latter are
now at Tampa Key West, Mobile. New
Orleans, Chickamauga and other South
ern points awaiting transportation to
Cuban soil. But they are among the
busiest soldiers in all the camps of the
South, for they must act in the capacity
of drill masters for large numbers of
comparatively inexperienced men. Ac-
cOrding to the military regulations of
the United States army each company
must have not fewer than four men
who may be detailed at any time to this
kind of service. All who have any ia
rniliarity with signal work, which in
81 he
of telegraph and telephone lines, may
be sure that their experience will be
made the most of by their officers. and
that every available moment of waiting
Will be utilized in drills and practice
of the most eXacting and vigorous kind
While heliograph. flag, torch and
rocket signaling are among the more
snowy features of signal work, the task
OF running a temporary telephone or
telegraph line is by no means a slow
or uninteresting process. And in this
connection the word running has a lit
eIal application, for the latest patterns
of reels will permit the signal man to
play out his line while mounted and
clearing the ground at a brisk canter
The device used for this purpose re-
senlbles an ordinary wood pulley, with
a handgrip attachment similar TO the
handle of a garden spade AS the wire
is fine a single hand reel contains a
strand half mile in length. Bicycles
are also equipped with reels carrying
wire for a line third of a mile long.
These devices ar so CONSTRUCTED that the
recovery or winding of a line is as
simple and speedy q matter as the play
ine-out process. The men running these
lines will carry upon their backs small
other light material. This will afford
instant and secret communication with
the point from which the advance is
made
DETAILS OF EQUIPMENT.
Next in its possibilities for rapid work
is the two-wheel reel cart. This carries
three miles of double cable and is of
bicycle construction. 1t is fitted with
shafts for a horse or may be pulled
by two men. Every detail of this de-
vice is as carefully wrought with a
view to lightness and strength as are
the parts of a high-grade wheel or a
bicycle sullly. The spooling or wind
ing apparatus for the recovery of the
cable is automatic Although this cart
may be used as easily for the con-
struction Of telephone as telegraph
lines, the latter service is more fire.
quently required of it.
The equipment of a complete field
telegraph train is quite elaborate, its
largest piece being the lance truck.
This is used in the building of line
designed TO be more permanent than
the flying lines" put out by the hand
and bicycle reels. The lances or light
poles are of locust wood. about fourteen
feet in length. Into the head of each
is screwed a hard-rubber insulator
with slot for the reception of the
wire. which is tied only at each fifth
pole In the side boxes OF the lance
truck are kept the digging bars. insu-
lators and other tools
A wire wagon and a battery wagon
always keep the lance truck close com
pany. The former is very strongly
constructed vehicle and carries in its
reels at least six miles of cable The
battery wagon is the life-center of the
train, being stocked with the chem
icals for generating electricity, with
telegraph and telephone instruments
and with all the other accessories nec-