The herald., 1898-07-10
WORK OF SIGNAL CORPS
Some of the Mysteries of Telegraphy and
Signaling in Warfare

A person not skilled in the art Of mod
ern warfare Is fairly bewtldered IN at
tempting to comprehend the changes
wrought by the introduction into warfare
OF the signal corps, or to understand the
service which this institution renders the
armies in the field, as well as the govern
ments engaged in the struggle. ITO be
forewarned is to be forearmed," and that
saying well illustrates the advantages sup
posed to be gained by the work Of the
signal corps. A very essential part of the
science Of war Is to be able to keep well
posted upon the movements of the enemy,
and the general who can know In advance
when an attack is to be expected upon his
forces Is possessed of powerful advan-
tage. 1t is intended that the signal corps
may materially aid him to this end.
Signaling In warfare is no new thing.
Indeed. history does not go back far enough
to tell us of the first attempts to commune
cate by prearranged signals. The fall Of
Troy, as told by Aeschylus in "Agamem-
nom was signaled to Argos, distance
of $50 miles, by fires lighted on Mounts Ida,
Hermaeus, Athos and Makitos. Thousands
OF years ago the Chinese communicated by
means Of long poles, upon which were sus-
pended blocks of wood, to be raised or low
cred, their position making the signal APP
parent. After the invention Of the tele-
scope, these optic telegraph lines became
quite common, especially in France and
Russia. France had regular lines extend
ing from Paris to Calais, Strasburg, Tou-
Ion. Bayonne and Brest, using the optic
system of communication
The invention of Morse did not do away
with this ancient method of signaling. and
1t Is obvious that the telegraph, the tele-
phone and the cable can never entirely take
the place OF the various methods en-
ployed before these things were known.
Heliography, wig-wagging. the megaphone.
the searchlight, the balloon, and even the
primitive fire on the mountain peak are
all useful In modern warfare, and doubt
less Will be for as long a time in the fu-
ture as we Of today care to interest our
selves in. In 1889 signal fires were lighted
on saddle Rock mountain, in Arizona, and
the people OF the surrounding country were
thus notified that the Apaches were off tire
San Carlos reservation and on the warpath.
There was no other effectual way by which
this could have been done.
The work of the signal corps has many
ramifications in this war now being waged.
Its members are, doubtless, from the very
nature of things, of a higher order of in
telligence than the members of any other
branch of military service, with the posi-
BILE exception of the engineer corps. In
charge Of the signal corps of the army Is
General w. A. Greeley. Among the various
branches Of the work are telegraphy and
telephony, cabling, ballooning, photography,
wigwagging, or flag and torch signaling,
and optic telegraphy of various kinds.
Telegraphy
During the civil war the world was given
it's first example of the practical and sys-
tematic use of telegraphy in warfare, and
doubtless this science is the most useful still
of all those utilized in the signal service.
Its value to the government during the
four years of the civil war cannot be over
estimated. Since that struggle many
changes have been made in the methods Of
its use and it has been brought to what
Is now considered very high state of per-
lection, as is being proved in Cuba at the
present time.