The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-10
GEN. GREELY,s GOOD POINT.
No Electric or Telephone COmmuni.
cations Between Notifications


cations Between FOrtificatiOns.
WASHINGTON, March 9-General Gree
ly, chief signal officer, has written the fol-
lowing letter to the secretary of war; who
has forwarded it to Chairman Cannon, of
the House committee on appropriations:
ITO the Honorable, the Secretary of War:
''Sir-The estimate of $4,000 for cables to
connect electrically the Notifications in the
harbors of New York, Boston and Phila-
delphia has been omitted in the sundry civil
bill as reported by the House of Represent
tatives. The chief signal officer would be
derelict in his duty did he not call the at
tention of the honorable, the secretary of
war, to the necessity of urging upon the
Senate such an appropriation. For seven
consecutive years the chief signal officer
has unavailingly recommended the impor-
lance of this matter, recting the fact that
some of our most important defenses /can
only be reached by messenger. The destruc-
ton of the military cables between Alca-
traz, Angel islands, and the main land long
since left the Notifications in San Fran
cisco harbor isolated and entirely uncon-
nected electrically, and Fort Warren, in
Boston harbor, is also without reach by
telephone or telegraph. In New York harbor
it is true that several posts can commune
cate with each other over circuitous com.
mercial routes, but such complicated meth
DDS, inadequate in peace even, would inevi-
tally break down in case of actual HOSTILE
ties.
These estimates have been recommended
both by you and former secretaries of war,
have been repeatedly urged as military
necessities by the commanding generals of
the departments affected and have been
heartily approved by the commanding gen.
erals of the army. Never more than to-day
have time and cooperation been more po-
tent elements of strength, whether in the
industries of peace or the art of war. In
the business world the most acute minds of
the century are applying themselves to the
development of speedy and increased COM
muncation, especially through electrical
devices, and the failure of any country to
utilize in this direction the highest inventive
skill must materially lessen it's chance of
success in war; In every other country of
the world the entire system of harbor de-
lenses for each port is connected electro
caily, so that not only is intercommunica-
ton and the transmission of orders con-
stantly maintained, but the fire control and
the direction Of the defense rest under one
master mind.
Z must seem cTeulDle 10 elINSF
business men or to experts that the Con-
gress, after authorizing a system of coast
defenses to cost millions of dollars. should,
for years, refuse to connect the military
forts around the great cities of New York,
Boston and San Francisco, either electri-
cally or telephonically. In critical emergen-
cies, such as arise in all defenses, military
operations at these points would, under ex-
listing conditions, be necessarily conducted
without concert or unison. thus needlessly
jeopardizing lives by the thousands and
property to the value Of hundreds of mil
lions of dollars. The present situation is
parallel to that which would exist If our
great cities, after spending tens of thou
sands of dollars in thoroughly establishing
a fire department, should refuse to install
Herewith an electrical signal system and
insist that alarms Of fire should be sent
either by messengers, or by the nearest
commercial telegraph line. Very respect
fully, A. w. GREELY,
"Chief Signal officer"