The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-05-25
Ihirty-fOur Central Stations,
Manned by Over POO Naval
Militiamen,
And Assisted by 2,20O Men in
the Lighthouse and Life
Saving Service.
Constant Lookout for Hostile
Fleets, and for Signals From
Our Own Ships.

WASHINGTON, May 25.-After sew.
eral weeks Of work along the entire
stretch OF the Atlantic and Gulf sec.
ton, the navy department has com.
pleted the most comprehensive and
efficient service for observing the ap.
proach Of a hostile fleet that has ever
been put into operation. a new bu.
reau has been created for this purpose,
known as the coast signal service, in
charge Of Captain Bartlett, who has
been chairman Of the naval board Of
information. The system has the ser.
vices Of 1890 men stretched along the
coast from Bar Harbor, Me-, to Gal.
weston, Tex. These are divided into "a
central stations, about 50 TO 100 miles
apart along the coast. The stations
are In turn connected directly by tele.
graph with the coast signal offices Of
the navy department, and operators
are on duty night and day keeping the
navy department in constant tele.
graphic touch with the entire stretch
of Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Secretary Long projected this plan
month ago, and $4,000 was set aside
| to establish the points Of observation
along the coast. After selecting the
"a central points from Maine 70 Texas,
| rush orders We're given TO build OBJ
| servatiou towers for the observers.
The naval militia was drawn on to man
| the different observation towers, and
! five militiamen, with the rank OF naval
| quartermaster are now on duty on each
OF these stations. The towers are com.
pleted and also the small houses for
their living purposes. There are 233
| of these milltlamen now III service.
| The next step was to have the light
| house service made an adjunct to tins
coast observation. This was done
| through the cooperation of the treas.
ury department and the lighthouse
force of 1890 men scattered from
Maine to Texas are assisting the work
Of observation The life.saving service
was brought into similar cooperation,
SO that now LOCO life savers are added
| TO the observation force. The "a cen
| trail stations with the numerous light
houses and life.saving stations make
all connected by the telegraph or tele
phone with one another and With th'
navy department.
By arrangement with the telegraph
companies, reports from observers tax
preference over private telegraph ousl
ness. SO that the navy department
able to get immediate telegraphlc nc
tice Of any hostile fleet or susp!clou
ship.
Naval vessels passing along the coas
are able to signal day or night B.
torches and otherwise with the nava
observers along the beach and thes
) signals are immediately telegraphed
the navy department here. Thus tn
naval vessels can be kept in constan
communication with the departmer
: without the necessity Of coming Int
port.
, Captain Bartlett sleeps throughor
the night along side the telegraph II
strument, ready to convey to his s.
periors word of the approach of an
. hostile ship. The first thing eac
morning reports are received iro'
j. Rar Harbor to Galveston, Stain
briefly that everything Is quiet,
otherwise. as the case may be.
With the system i'll its present pc
fected condition, the navy departmel
t feels assured that it knows exactly Il
I condition of affairs along the entl
!. stretch of Atlantic and Gulf coast. II
; system is simply a precautionary on
: as tho department has had no reason
5 believe that Spanish ships were mena
ING points along the coast.