Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-02-19

TELEGRAPH LINE.
possible at all times. even while the
wire Is being lail. Messages NAV be
sent and received with as much facil-
ity as If the instruments were at
tached TO q solid wall in a comfortable
Office
Eminences. hills. bluffs. or other
elevated portions OF land. when so To-
Gated as 70 be in view % Headquarters
IN the field. serve rs admirable sites for
photograph stations. OF course. unless
an uninterrupted view Of the country
Is 70 be had. no photographic signal
ING can be accomplished. The system
IN vogue now In the Signal Corps Is
the latest and most improved. in the
matter Of instruments procurable. but
the method which provides for the
transmission OF messages bv light
flashes, IL old Il is astounding. how
ever. 70 note the fact that telegraphic
messages have been flashed with this
little instrument o distance of almost
200 miles The system OF dots and
dashes OF the telegraph code is repro
duced by mesnE % long and short
flashes Of reelected sunlight. While
II Is true that any operator may read
the words spelled out in this manner.
yet the information thus gained would
he totally unintelligible TO him. as
everything Is sent in cipher.
An exhaustive system OF signaling
by means Of flags and Photograph by
day, and at night with rockets. bombs
hash-lsnterns aud electric searchliphts
Is Ia vogue. Messages can be sent
under any and all sorts Of conditions.
- IN the face of seemingly insur-
mountable obstacles, so that com
mander NAV az all times be kept fully
advised Of what Is Transporting in any
or al OF his commands.
Military ballooning has also adj
vanced to such a state OF perfection
during the past few year that il will be
perfectly within the range of POSSIBLE
lty, IN case OF war, to accurately photo
graph an e9emy's position, obtain &C
curste maps OF his Notification. etc.
without sending any one within his
lines. There Is at Fort Logan, a fully
equipped balloon field train, ready for
service at any moment.
The balloon train consists Of three
wagons, similar in construction 10
those described above. and which
transport the field telegraph parapher-
MALTA. The balloon itself, huge affair.
has place II the forward end of the
wagon. At the rear end there IS n
large reel, upon which are carried sew
eral thousand feet Of stout cable In
a middle compartment 20 the balloon
wagon, room Is reserved for the basket
and netting. Ia the second wagon are
stored the hydrogen gas tubes needed
Tor Initiating the airship These tubes
are constructed Of steel and are as
light and as strong as it is possible 10
make them.
There Is a generating plant for gas
al Fort Logan. and i is there that the
tubes are filed They are shipped. in
such quantities as may be needed. TO
various points throughout the country.
4 supply sufficient for several infa-
tons can be carried with the field
train, and II larger supplies are needed.
additional wagons are pressed into
service. The balloon itself is con
siruc:ed Of the finest and most costly
material, gold beatcrs' skin being used
for this purpose. The heavy wagon is
OF sufficient weight 10 hold the balloon
captive, and If a change OF base Is
necessary during an ascension, the
wagon has simply 70 be moved in the
desired direction. Telephone com
munication j. maintained through the
cable which holds the balloon to the
wagon.
AS the members Of tie Signal Corps
are also Typographical engineers It il
a simple matter for them 20 prepare
accurate maps II the country beneath
them, while suspended out OF harms
way above an enemy's camp. The
adoption Of acknowledgement lenses