Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-03-16

my. Comparatively little is known
about the Signal Corps Of the army
and its important work, and it is the
purpose of this article to describe il q
general way some of the interesting
things this little body of men accom-
plish in these days of military progress.
Aerial military manoeures, photo
graphing from great heights and dis
tances, laying, equipping, and opera
ting telegraph and telephone lines in
time OF battle at rate rs fast as q
horse can travel, are interesting mat
ters, and all Of them are achieved by
this branch of the service.
The Signal Corps on peace footing
consists of ten officers and score or
more sergeants, together with small
detachments of enlisted men detailed
for this special service on the frontier
where instruction in the work of the
corps is being given. Brigadier Cen
eral A. W. Greedy of arctic fame, is in
command of the corps and has his
headquarters at Washington, D. 0.
The largest school of instruction at
present is at Fort Logan, Colorado.
Captain W. A. Glassford, Chief Signal
Officer, of the Department of the Colo
RADIO, is in charge and has in his de-
tachment three Sergeants and eighteen
detailed enlisted men.
In the present day, owing to the
rapid advance made in modern fire.
arms, the necessity has arisen for
means of instant communication from
one part of q battlefield to,another. For
the transmission of orders, instruction,
reports, &c., nothing is 80 swift as
electricity. The manner of it's adap-
tion for this work is interesting in the
extreme, and the means by which
telephone and telegraph lines are put
up and operated are unique and origi-
nal. The aerial exploits Of some
of these men outrival the widest
dreams of ''old-time aeronauts-for o
balloon train is now part of the field
equipment of the modern United
States Army.
Ehe country surro ling Fort Lo-
gan'is particularly adaptedto the uses
Of the Signal Corps for field work.
sarraGF aSd d ffaRPders the
instruments employed easily taught.
The high peaks Immediately in the
back ground afford lofty stations in
temperate weather for long distance
signaling and heliographing.
Supposing that q state OF actual
warfare exists, we will go with the
signal men into the field and see how
the field telegraph and telephone lines
are put up and operated. The tele-
graph train consists of three wagons
of the usual army type, built more for
rough, hard service than for beauty.
The electrical batteries are securely
packed in wooden bins or cells in one
of these wagons, to prevent their top
pling over in transit. Another COM
partment in this same wagon provides
safe storage for the telegraph instru-
ments and necessary supplies. The
wagon is drawn by two or four mules
as the nature of the country demands.
The second wagon is known as the
wire wagon. It carries o supply OF
ordinary galvanized telegraph wire
sufficient to erect line ten or doz-
en- miles in length. This wire is car
ried upon reels which pay it out auto
matically, once the line has been
started. The third wagon carries the
slender poles or lauces, together with
the nect ssary insulators to support
the wire, and tools for setting the
lances in the ground. In boxes along
the sides of this wagon are carried the
additional small supplies which may
be needed in cases of emergency.