Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-09
Signals on the Battlefield.


be brought into service at moment .
notice and which would prove very an
noying to an enemy. Comparatively
little is known about the signal corps
of the army and it's important work.
Aerial military maneuVers, Pho'o-
graphing from great heights and ms
tances. laying. equipping and operating
telegraph and telephone lines in time o.
battle at Il rate as fast as morse GU"
travel, are novel achievements ana an
of them are accomplished by TINS
branch of the service.
The signal corps, on peace 1ootfil'5'
consists of 10 officers. and a score or
more of sergeants. together WIN
small detachments of enlisted men, de-
| tailed for this special service, at the
various posts where instruction III the
| corps is being given.
The largest school of instruction AT
| present is at Fort Logan, Col Cap'.
| w. A. Glassford. chief signal officer Oh
the department of Colorado, IS ~
| charge. He has in his detachment
three sergeants and Is detailed enlisted
men. Until recently there was also It
school of instruction at Fort Rlley'
Kan. in charge of Lieut.. Reber
| Surprising a state of actual warfare
| to exist let US go into the field with the
| signal men and witness their work. we
| will see the telegraph lines erected ana
operated. and learn how it is possible -
| telephone over a line while it is stlil N
| actual course of construction.
The telegraph train consists of three
| wagons of the usual army type, bulit
| more for rough, hard service than TOR
beauty. The electrical batteries are Sc
curely packed in wooden bins or cells, II
prevent topping over in transit, An
other compartment in this wagon pro-
| vides safe storage for the telegraph IN
| struments and necessary supplies.
The second wagon is known as the
wire wagon. 1t carries a supply Of or
binary galvanized telegraph wire sufi-
cient to erect line ten or a dozen miles
in length This wire is wound upon
reels, which pay it out automatically
| once the line has been started.
The third wagon carries the poles or
| lances. together with the necessary in
sulators to support the wire ana the
tools and implements used in setting
the poles in the ground. In boxes alone
the sides of this wagon are stored adj
ditional small supplies which may DC
needed in cases of emergency.
The wagon train joys along at fan
rate of speed after leaving the post, anc
no one knows, except the commanding
officer where or when the telegraph OF
telephone line is to be set up.
After the men and horses, or mules
have trotted reasonable distance thu
| command Halt is sounded. The
train stops instantly The men run to
the wire wagon and swarm over it;
others of them attack the lance or poie
truck. and in an instant stream OF
poles is issuing from it in ceaseless sue
cession that can be approached only by
an army of circus employees dismantlln4
a big tent. The general direction OF the
line is indicated ny the officer. and TIL.
men set to work.
Two of them armed with huge crow
bars trot off in the direction the line is
to take. Shortly one of them haltS at a
spot about 80 or GO yards from the bat
terry wagon. and thrusts the sharply
| pointed ends of his steel bar INTO the
ground. Another passes him. ana goes
twice the distance when he. too, stops
and plungeS the sharp instrument mo
the yielding soil.
The first has now ran around the sec
onCl, and his place is taken by group of
..<,, ON. Of Ia IpprpS he end pf
~. -, 80; 81 t,i,rs ineuIa.ors In loss
~. -, - ,,t,os 10 ~, II tbc lance is
e.i.'' i,,,,tar i il, nneitjnn ne yyirr
=; ,; ,'r 49,, ~. frrnnvc ana tho mon
- atf to,r.,rd tle location Of the second
90 CO. va
,;r, :. ,,,,,. ..,irriut, ont Of tho roar
Nv " % ,,,,, i.ntI -b., foro,,,,st of
" ~ 80, t fn,+ di,,,,,,,ca,-i,,tr in tbc
ny, ~ =. mi 81 nI,i<.i,iv 1onc tbat h,
80 .: ~ NAV, ,nn No oains,,1 Cor
1"' ,t - ~ iist,,,t ,,,.,c,,..rti,.. has
elongated the field train half Il mile or
more.
..Nhile was maryeIing at the speed
of il all. the instrument in the battery
wagon began to click mcrrily bringing
d message from one of the scrGeAh'S tar
out amongst the hills, stating that the
line was still going due east ana asking
| for further instructions.
"If You were up yondcr, on the top OF
one Of those big peaks said capt Glass
ford. by way of still further mNStIfyinG
me. you could telegraph through tn" an
| to Denver, have the message flashed
again to New York and get an answer IN
an hour or less. depending, or course,
upon the speed of the messenger boy in
the metropolis.
| OF course. Il field telegraph limo. SUCH
| as has been described. could not De erect
| ed among lighting troops actually en-
gagged in battle. The field telephone,
| however. can be carried wherever Il