The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-11
COAST SIGNAL SERVICE.
Capt. Bartlett Tells Of It's
Work and Makes
Recommendations.

WASHINGTON, Oct II, -1SaS.--A com
plete history of the operations of the
United States Coast Signal Service is
presnted in the report Of Captain John r.
Bartlett who was the superintendent of
that service. This Institution was born
of the emergency created by the war. and
Captain Bartlett shows how, within one
week after the orders had gone out by
telegraph, the entire coast was under OBJ
seryation from a chain of stations ex-
tending from Maine to Texas. There were
eight districts in which were distributed
thfrty-six signal stations, officered and
manned by the State naval militia, a force
of eighteen officers and two hundred and
ten men. The largest force was neces-
sarily on duty in FsloriGa, five officers and
fifty-two men, while Massachusetts had
two officers and forty-one men. New
Jersey and Pennsylvania had each five
men.
1t was the purpose of all these .observ-
ers primarily to detect and report imnle-
diately to headquarters in Washington.
by telegraph or telephone, the approach
of an enemy's ship. But actually many
other useful purposes We're served. Lists
of the stations were prepared and issued
to the various steamship companies, and
The Associated Press and by 1t to every
newspaper in the country. The necessity
of governing the long stretches of coast
between the stations, led to the employ
n1ent as part of the service, of the crews
of the life saving service, the light house
and weather bureau service also coop
Grating.
completed the observing powers OF the
two hundrde and ten naval nlilitiamen
at the thirty-six stations OF the coast
signal service We're reinforced by the
watchfuf crews Of the life saving service
including !, 443 men; the alert light keep
ers in the Hight houses, numbering $50
men, and the personnel of the weather
bureau with a total number of thirty
three observers. Thus an aggregate of
g. 536 men were on the lookout for the
picious craft of any sort, and ready TO
report the movement of the vessels be-
longing to our own forces, lnclrding all
the auxiliary ships and transports.
Capt. Bartlett says that the pracSlcal
operation of this service for the three
months of its existence has convinced him
hat it would have served the use Tor
which it was established, namely. to OBJ
serve and report the approach OF an en-
emy's vessel Then it served an excellent
purpose in advising the Department OF
the movements of the Unitd states yes
sells and was particularly serviceahle in
reporting and communicating Win tne
Oregon, when the whole country was
anxious for news of her, and The San
Francisco when that vessel needed as
sistance.
But the most valuable result of the
test in the Judgment of CAPT. Bartlett
has ben to determine the points along the
coast at which signal stations are neces-
sary. The Captain thinks that the coast
signal service should be an integral part
manned by the naval militia. of whose
services he speaks in the highest terms.
AS an outline of a permanent system such
as is maintained by every European
country. Capt Bartlett suggests that each
life saving station should be made
coast signal station, the trustworthy and
well disciplined crews making good
material for signalmen The weather
bureau statiens and such lighthouses as
are necessary to fill in gaps should also
be made part of the system.
Permanent coast signal stations should
be established at these points: Monhegan
Island Maine; Rockport, Mass; Highland
Light Mass Montauk Point, N. Y.
Fire Island. N. Y; Sandy Hook, n. j.;
Barnegat. N. J.: Cape Henlopen, Del.
Cape Henry. Va; Morris Island S. G..
Tybes Island, Ga; Palm Beach. Fla, and
Sand Island, Fla.
Captain Bartlett suggests a list of equip
ment supplies for these stations. Including
hosning pigeons, which, he says, must be
trained for one year TO be of service. He
says that such system could be very
economically inaugurated and maintained.
In times of peace it would be of constant
convenience to the navy department and
to the maritime interests of the country.
and the constant practice would prepare
the men for the emergencies OF the war
1t is most essential in his judgment 10
naval and commercial interests of the
United States.