Evening star., 1898-10-12
COAST SIGNAL SERVICE
History of Its Operations Narrated BY Captain
John R. Bartlett.
The Entire Sea Line From Maine to
Texas Connected by Chain of
stations in week.

complete history of the opera tions of
the United States coast signal service is
presented in the report of Capt. John r.
Bartlett, who was the superintendent of
that service. This institution was born Of
the emergency created by the war. and
Captain Bartlett shows how. within one
week after the orders had gone out by
telegraph, the entire coast was under OBJ
seryation from a chain of stations extend
ing from Maine to Texas. There were
eight districts in which distributed
thirty-six signal stations. officered and
manned by the state naval militia. force
of eighteen officers and 30 men. The laTg-
est force was necessarily on duty in FlOri-
da. five officers and tifty-two men, while
Massachusetts, had two officers and forty
one men. New Jersey and Pennsylvania
had each five men. II was the purpose of
all these observers primarily to detect and
report Immediately to headquarters in
Washington by telegraph or telephone the
approach Of an Cnemy'S ship. But actually
many other useful purposes were served
Lists of the stations were prepared ald is
sued to the various steamship companies.
and a Notice To mariners" was furnished
to the Associated Press. ana by it to every
newspaper in the country
Life-Sayin.s Crews Aided.
The necessity of covering the long
stretches of coast between the stations led
to the employment as part of the service.
of the crews of the life-saving service, the
light house and weather bureau service a so
cooperating. When these arrangements
had been completed the observing powers
of the 2tu naval militia men at the thirty
six stations OF the coast signal service
We're reinforced by the watchful crews of
the Hfe-saving service, including AS men;
the alert light keepers in the light houses
numbering $50 men. and the personnel OF
the weather bureau with total number of
fkiTtN-TbTtP observers Thus aggregate
of 2536 men Were on the lookout for the
approach of an enemy's vessel or a sus-
p.cious craft of any sort. and ready to re-
port the movement OF the vessels belonging
to our OWN forces. including all the auXil-
iary ships and transports
Value of the Service.
Captain Bartlett says that the prac-
ticaI operation of this service for the three
months of its existence has convinced him
that it would have served the use for which
it was established-to observe and report
the approach of an enemy's vessel. Then
it served an excellent purpose in advising
the department in the movements of United
States vessels and was particularly service
able in reporting and communicating with
the Oregon when the who'll country was
anxious for news of her, and the San Fran
cisco when that vessel needed assistance.
But the most valuable result of the test,
IN the Judgment of Captain Bartlett, has
been to determine the points along the
coast at which signal stations are neces-
sary- The captain thinks that the coast
signal service should be an integral part of
q national coast defense system manned by
the naval militia. of whose services he
speaks in the highest terms.
As an outline of permanent system,
such as is maintained by every European
country, Captain Bartlett suggests that
each hfe-savtng station should be made
coast signal station, the trustworthy and
well-disciplined crews making good ma
terial for signal men The weather bureau
stations and such light houses as are nee
essary TO I'LL in gaps should also be made
Q part Of the system. Permanent coast
signal stations should be established at
these pointsI Monhegan Island Maine;
Rockport, Mass; Highland Lights, Mass;
Montauk Point, n. Y! Fire Island, N. Y:
Sandy Hook. N. j.; Barnegat, n. j.; Cape
Henelopen, Del: Cape Henry. Va: Morris
Island, g. c.; Tybee Island, Ga; Palm
Beach. Fla, and Sand Island, Fla
Captain Bartlett suggests list of equip
ment supplies for these stations, including
honling pigeons, which, he says. must be
trained for one year to be of service. He
says that such a system could be very
economically inaugurated and maintained
In times Of peace 1t would be of constant
convenience to the Navy Department and
TO the maritime interests of the country,
and the constant practice would prepare
the men for the emergencies Of the war.
II is most essential to naval and CONNER
cial Interests Of the United States