Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-26
uSE OF BALLOONS IN WAR.


Washington. Oct ss.-frig-ocn.
urccly. chief signal onicr. today pre-
scntcd 90 Secretary AlEcr hln rcpor,
u the operations Of tho signal corps
during the recent war with spain. IN
the nrat section N his report General
Grroly lnilmatca that the corps oihcgra
On cuba were handicapped because they
were not allowed 90 take with them thg
signal corps telegraph train, which had
been sent TO Tampa for the Santiago
expedition.
Gen. Grcely IL confident that during
the single month ~ July the lines or
communication maintained by his corps
In cuba were worth more 90 the nation
than has been the cost OF the signal
corIH OF the army from liH Inception
10 the present day. lie rpfcra 20 the
ease with which the major general CONF
handing the ARMY communicated with
Warrington, giving important infornu-
tluu and receiving Important orders
lie adds. in addition Il II not pleas
ant 10 HurmiHo what mlRht have boon
the fate OF the fever stricken army In
Santiago De Cuba had is fortunes and
movements been debated BY mall In
stead OF electrical communication"
Gen. urecly strongly commcnda the
use Of the war balloon. and declares
that ita utility was thoroughly demon
Hiratcd. Concerning the criticism made
Of the balloon operations at Santiago,
he says.
THE forcing Of the signal corps bal.
loon 10 the rklrmlsh line. whore ~
/ position II reported % have caused SER
I lous loss 10 the troops by disclosing
I their movements and attracting tho
cncmy'u IRE was the action OF Major
General shaftcr through his chief en-
/ glnocr. Col. George McC. Derby IN the
I face OF nc professional advice given
By Lieutenant Colonel MaNncld OF the
/ United states volunteer Hlgnal curpa.
/ who Is charged with the practical opor-
alton OF the balloon and who besides
sharing absolutely every danger 90
which Colonel Derby was subjected. IN
addition had HE horse shot under him
In previous reconnaissance ot the
grnund"
General Greely's report indicates that
the credit Tor the location " Admiral
Ccrvera'a feet In Santiago harhor be-
longs 20 the signal corps ana says that
I'm the Interest N history. let alone
I Justice 10 the signal corps of the army.
the truth should be- told. The location
81 Cprvtra'a squadron at Santiago was
nrrt made by col James Allen and
later verified Independently by Lieut.
Col Joseph y. MaXnrld. both Officers
o. The signal corps The blookadlng OF
CefNcrah squadron was due 20 the con.
tervative action Of the President ana
secretary OF The navy, based on reports
/ ana Representations made personally n
army.
"on tho 10Th Admiral Ccrvera en-.
Tered the harhor ~ santiago with hla
SQUADRON That very day col. Allen
tgleEwphci IN cipher o. the chief signal
officer, Five splnlfh Vessels arrived
m Santiago Dc cuba Have uuadol
admiral commanding. (shmpln,l The
spanish nagEhlp arrived Santiago %
cuba. Tho admiral CCcrycra) hastily
wired Madrid
"on the following morning h. added
me Following lnformation' 'pcayo and
tpuf cruisers IN Santiago, No destroy
vf or torpedo boats arrived there ThiI
information was communicated iurne,
dlasely 90 the PrcEIdeut and By hg Or.
dtis TO abe eeor,ary ~ the navy, VIII.
being Impressed BY the aFfuflnce ol
me chief signal officer Of tha army "a.
TO the ortlrc reliability of thiB report
proved himself equal 90 tho omGrr.nr}
1ni on thai very day glvt 1ich prlmp
ana .enecHyc ordrrs, aa resulted in ih,
9lockade of Sintaro and the ultimate
d,lirucuon Of Ccryera'a nout."
Tao report rlya thni COL, Ahcn fur
~ ned clnhrr advlcea OF the most valu
able sort from Santiago almost daily
10 nrat reported that the Spln'al
tquadipn was short Of coal and c0ull
illt rcniw hts supply AZ Santiago an
also that the unarmorvd American
cruisers on the Cuban coast "wrre mis-
ah'n by the SpaElfh Cor the mali
American fient. proving" says Gen
= uretly ''the wisdom ana efficacy OF "A
: mhll Simpsons orders hy cable fha
we faat unagmored cruisers OF the nav,
should perform scouting duty on San
The report then adds - olphe
ntfsnEe % the 2lrd stated correctl
, llht Admiral Schley was that day n
clenfuegos and Cerycrl was az slnii
. ago. Meanwhile the navy had hcel
unable 20 verify tha fact ~ cervera
presence at Santiago und as rcsul
I tne olrreosness OF tho lnflrmatoln fur
hlrhed boy the nEnll corps was aharpl'
questioned, The chlvf signal officer BE-
ING informed that the whole carnpaigl
was conducted upon his representa-
lions, was asked 20 verify the informa
Ton from uihVr sources II possible
, Prompt action was taken hy the chic
signal officer, Who adopted such hne
. vi operation that thereafter there wa
. scarcely a day he was not DO possession
or Information OF some Kind or othe
coming over one or more of tho III
'elreuits leading out OF Santiago"