The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-24
TELEPHONES FoR THE battlefield
United states signal Corps Develop
Double Service system.


Double Service system.
From the New York Herald.
a little war is not an unwelcome vis-
tation from the point of view of govern
ment officials. AS the British Indian
government has found out during many
years of border scuffies, nothing edu-
Gates the soldier so thoroughly as "A lit
tie real fighting. The United States does
not afford the soldier many opportunt-
ties for practical education, but the re-
cent operations against the Arizona In
dams We're taken advantage OF to test
the utility of an important scientific in
vention that will aid materially the gen
eral who directs the operations of an
army corps in a future battle.
BY means of this apparatus. which
has been perfected by Capt. James Allen
of the signal corps. under the direction
of Gen. A. w. Greedy, 1t will he possible
to string a line of wire from point to
point of an army's communications, and
use the same wire for both telephoning
and telegraphing. General Greedy has
declared II 10 be the most notable scien-
titic advance of the year, the Importance
of which is nott confined to military
work alone, but may be applied the
world over
The present field telephone telegraph
apparatus of the signal corps represents
experiments. General Greedy, chief sig
nal officer. secured from abroad a Cha
rallois system for telephone commun-
cation in 1892 BY this system oral COM
munication was possible through unin-
sulated bimetalic wire laid on the
ground, each end being connected by "A
Charallois transmitter and receiver. The
success of this so-called system was at
tributed by its inventor, Captain Cha
ralois of the French army to the pc
culiar properties of the wire used by
him.
After one trial of the Charallois tele-
phones they were permanently replaced
by the Crown magnetic telephones,
owned by the signal corps, with result
ing sound many times louder than that
with the Charallois Instruments.
Next study of the bimetallic wire
led To the conclusion that it did not
possess any special qualities in an cleo
tTic way, and ii was theoretically dem
onstrated that as good results should
follow the use of single metal wire of
the same diameter as the bimetallic,
and practical test proved this 10 he
fact. Pure copper silicon. bronze and
other wires of the size of the bimetallic
gave entirely as good results.
As the original idea was to use the
uninSulated wire only for oral COM
munieaton, and as. in fact, it was not
possible then to otherwise use 1t, the
problem of adapting ii To the US of the
signal corps as part of its means of
Geographic communication was con-
fronted.
Capt. James Allen of the signal corps,
an expert electrician, WAS charged with
the solution of the problem by General
Greedy. He replaced the magnetic tele-
phones used as transmitters. substitut-
ing a carbon transmitter. with greatly
improved results. These instruments
were introduced into a circuit with
battery, induction coil anu telegraph
key. and communication by Morse tele-
graph code attempted.
The back stroke of the diaphragm be-
ing much louder than the sound OBJ
tanned when the current was sent
through the magnet seemed for time
a fatal objection to the use of the in
Strument part of the telegraph sys-
tenn. An ingenious solution of the prob
lem was found by Captain Allen, where
by the Morse code Is read easily
through the receiver AS from an ordi
nary telegraph sonnder.
Having in mind comparatively sue
cessful experiments abroad in the use
of a single wire for telegraphing and
tclephoning. Captain Allen then began
work on that line. and. ingeniously sur
mounting the many difficulties met with
in his exhaustive experiments, perfected
The instrument now used by the signal
corps.
II has been rigidiy tested at distances
up Ia 625 miles and pronounced "A sue
cess in it's various capacities as a buzz"
Morse, telephone and phonoplex instru-
ment The whole OUTFIT weighs only 10
pounds including battery enough To
work over any length of line that the
corps would probably be- called upon to
operate. An operator may therefore
easily carry i'm his hand a combination
telegraph and telephone office.
With it, while one operator Is en-
gagged i'm tclegraphing a message in
Morse character. another may, over the |
same Wire. talk telephonically with an
lither station. the distant operators hear |
ing only their own messages.