The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-25

the board of information. The system has
me me services OF 10y men men, stretched along
ton. Tex. They are divided into thirty-four
central stations, about sixty to one hundred
miles apart along the coast. The stations
are in turn directly connected by telegraph
with the coast signal office of the Navy De-
partment and operators are on duty day
and night, keeping the Navy Depart
ment in constant telegraphic touch with the
entire stretch Of Atlantic and gulf coasts.
secretary Long e. projected 70 se this, plan a
tablsh the points of observation along the
coast. After selecting the thirty-four CEN
ders were given to build observation towers
for the observers. The naval militia was
drawn on to make the different observation
towers and five militiamen with the rank
of naval quartermasters are now on duty
at each of these stations. The towers are
t6 anG as9 tFS SeT Ta nSIs f for
militiamen now in service. The next step
was TO have the lighthouse service made
an ADJUNCT d to TINS coast
ton of the Treasury Department, and
the lighthouse force of 1900 men scattered
from Maine to Texas are assisting the work
of observation. The life saving service was
brought into similar cooperation, so that
Walton force rec The thrtyfour &C Central Ig STA
tons with the numerous lighthouses and life
saving stations make complete chain of
graph or telephone with one another and
with the Navy Department By arrange.
ment with the telegraph companies, the re-
ports from these observers take precedence
over the private telegraphic business, so
that the Navy Department is enabled to
get immediate Geographic notice of the ap-
proach of any hostile fleet or suspicious
ship.
The work of observation has been thor
oughly systematiZed. Watches are kept on
the towers throughout the day and night.
The life saving crews in particular are as
signed to night duty and they patrol the
beach throughout the night on the outlook
for approaching ships. All the central points
and the observers have been supplied with
telescopes and full appliances for marine OBJ
servation. They are also supplied with
torches, rockets and other paraphernalia for
signaling. The results already secured have
Naval vessels passing along the coast are
able to signal day or night by torches and
otherwise with the naval observers along
the beach, and these signals are Immediate
ly telegraphed to the Navy Department
here. Thus the naval vessels can be kept
in constant communication with the depart
ment without the necessity of coming into
port.
Captain Bartlett sleeps throughout the
ready to convey to his superiors word of the
approach of any hostile ship. The first
thing each morning reports are received
from every point from Bar Harbor to Gal
weston. stating briefly that everything is
quiet or otherwise as the case may be. Thus
far the day reports have been uniformly
assuring, but the night reports have been
at times alarming The observers being
alert and new to their work report every
suspicious llgnC seen OIL SIlOro ana IreQuenC-
ly attach serious significance to it. Since
Captain Bartlett has answered some of the
scare reports. with the laconic message,
Sea serpent the observers have been
more cautious, and the reports show evil
dences of careful observation. With the sys-
tenn in it's present perfected condition the
Navy Department feels assured that it
knows exactly the condition of affairs along
the entire stretch of the Atlantic and gulf
coasts. The system is simply a precaution-
airy one, as the department has had no rea-
son to believe that Spanish ships were men
acing points along the coast.