The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-11
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Report of Capt. Bartlett on Work
Done During the War.


Washington, Oct. IA complete his
tory Of the operations of the United
States coast signal service is presented
in the report of Captain John r. Bart
lett, who was the superintendent of
that service. This institution was born
of the emergency created by the war
and Captain Bartlett shows how, with
in one week after the orders had gone
out by telegraph the entire coast was
under observation from a chain of sta
tions extending from Maine to Texas.
There were eight districts in which
We're distributed SO signal stations off,
cered and manned by the state naval
militia, a force of eighteen officers and
30 men.
The largest force was necessarily on
duty in Florida, five officers and 81
observers primarily to detect and re-
port Immediately to headquarters in
Washington by telegraph or telephone,
the approach of an enemy'S ship. But
actually many other useful purposes
were served. Lists of the stations were
prepared and issued to the various
steamship companies and a notice to
mariners was furnished to the As
sociated Press and by it to every news
paper in the country. The necessity OF
covering the long stretches of coast
between the stations led to the employ
ment, as a part of the service, OF the
crews of the life saving service, the
light house and weather bureau ser
vice, also cooperating. When these ar
rangements had been completed the
observing powers of the 21O naval
militiamen at the Sc stations of the
coast signal service were reinforced by
the watchful crews of the life saving
service including LAB men; the alert
light keepers in the light houses num-
bering $50 men and the personnel of the
weather bureau with a total number of
SO observers. Thus an aggregate OF 3
536 men were on the outlook for the
approach of an enemy's vessel, or a
r
to report the movement of the vessels
belonging to our own forces, including
all the auxiliary ships and transports
Captain Bartlett says that the prac-
tica1 operation of this service for the
three months of it's existence has con-
vinced him that it would have served
the use for which it was estab blished,
namely to observe and report the ap-
proach of an enemy's vessel Then it
served an excellent purpose in advising
the department of the movements OF
United States vessels and was partfc-
ularly serviceable in reporting ana
communicating with the Oregon, when
the whole country was anxious for
news of her, and the San Francisco
when that vessel needed assistance. But
the most valuable result of the test has
been to determine the points along the
coast at which signal stations are nee
essary Captain Bartlett thinks that
the coast signal service should be an
integral part of a national coast De
fense system manned by the naval
militia, of which services he speaks IN
the highest terms.
As an outline of a permanent system,
such as is maintained by every Euro
pean country, Capt. Bartlett suggests
that each life-saving station should be
made a coast signal station, the trust
worthy and well disciplined crews max
ing good material for signal men The
weather bureau stations and such light
houses as are necessary to fill in gaps,
should also be made a part of the sys-
tenn Permanent coast signal stations
should be esta blished at these points:
NIonhegan Island, Ne; Rockport, Mass; :;
Highland Lights, Mass; Montauk Point,
n. Y; Fire Island, N. Y; Sandy Hook,
n. J.; Barnegat, N. J.; Cape Henlopen,
Del; Cape Henry, Va; Norris Island,
S C.: Tybe Island, Ca; Palm Beach,
Fla. and Sand Island, Fla.
Capt. Bartlett suggests a list of equip
ment supplies for these stations includ-
ing homing pigeons, which he says must
be trained for one year to be of ser
vice He says that such a system could
be economically inaugurated and opera
ted In times of peace 1t would be
constant convenience to the navy de
partrnent and maritime interests of the
country and constant practice would
prepare the men for the emergencies of
the war. It is most essential in his
Judgment to naval and commercial in
terests of the United States.