Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-19
BY ELECTRIC FLASH.
,,r ,,TEsT'sCiENTIrIc woNpE"
RON THE .TRAysvAAL CAMPAIGN.
TAKE THE PLACE OF TELEGRAPH.
v..ues 10 lie Flashed nj Nia"'
hundred Miles by USING '"'
cs.-uc.icced Gnrrisons "a" "'
communicated Win
ll..r,.snondence Of be DIspalchl

,l,,r,.snondence Of the Dispa''n3
,o>-noN october 2o--Great anxiety -
-, manifested by the British m'lI'"iS
Y,.,,',..,,ios over the preservation OF 'ne
so,ret Of new method 81 sis i'"''''e'
,,nicb military experts declare !"
fined 10 play a very important part III ~,
,...,,,,o, ~ the Transvaal campaign, ana
which will give the British troops ue
o,dod ADVANTAGE over their opponents ID
,noy now have a monopoly Of the inveh-
ton. the patent being held only py '"0
British. Belgian. and italian govern
ments. u
Thie &c the system OF electric balloon
SIGNALLING. invented by Eric Stuart Bruce,
N. A.. which has been recently adop'eu
nv tbe Powers mentioned for the use VI
nv rosnective war departments.
The Importance OF this discoNgayy en-
ecarce,v be overestimated. espeoIaily
~ a war as the Transvaal undertaH
inc &c likely TO deteriOrate ihto-a -,
tor, quorilla campaign. in which 9n,,'''
hoiies Of troops will be engaged j! p't
roting over q comparatively large S''e'0"
,rbo' advantage which the Beers poSsesS
8, Gcbting Of this kind due 10 lheiI Ia
niiieritv with the ground. over lhe i-nS
Ueh troops many OF Whom ~ ~
,,,,o,orstomed 10 such Typographical on
et.cIes os they will encounter In South
Afrtca will be greatly Offset by the ease
,,,itb which communication VIII be KEEP.
~, hotween the struggling bodies Oh
IONS and the headquarters OF the army
Tho willy tactics of the Beers VIII o.
LARGELY frustrated by the use of TINS eieC-
tric-signa( service, which IL iar IN au-
,.erca of that furnished by the memo
graph and will serve tho same puipos1
during the night as that useiul lhsliu-
ment performs by day. n,.... ~,
BY it's operations the possioI.l'y -
nassing troops al any desired point VI -.
SIGNALLING for withdrawal from dangerous
,,,sitians viii be assured and manoeu-
,,ros which would otherwise be- iuposslple
in such a campaign can ea7HS D0
cd from headquarters. q,
The advantage Of possessing Such "
means Of communication Will, aIso' Ds
felt most powerfully in the case OF CARR
sons isolated in cities where they are -
bemmed in by the enemy that commuhl-
cation by means OF dispatch-rlders his
been rendered impossible.
In this way Alwal North ana hinlpei
lo,, could communicate with each other'
q
Nfafaking and Kimberley. and. by estap-
fishing a circuit of signals. al the places
I'm the possession OF the British couli
tbus keen up constant communicatlon
with each other. even supposing mat ne
Intervening territory WAS occupied ~
Boer or Free State troops. Itch
In the event Of a native uprising when
seems 10 be q possibility at any stage oI
the game. the situation In SCUM AiilCd
NAV. possibly. assume compressor si.' -
t,re If the sepoy rebellion. in which case
d. nat which existed I'm India at the
the heart-rending experience OF the ID
tisb I'm Lucknow AT the very moment
when Sir Henry Havelock was almost az
The citv's gates with relief could never DE
duplicated. .., ~
Tbo beauty Of the Bruce electric BAL
loon-signalling system is that the pallooh
,,o,, he miles away from the spot where
II is operated. If necessary. all the slshal-
ling being done rom the ground, az
spot where the apparatus conhecteu VII"
the balloon il located.
A number Of incandescent electro
lamns are placed I'm the balloon in metal
l,c circuit with the apparatus below tne
svstem Of communication consisting III
VARYING the duration If the hasnes vi
light so as TO signal according to the
Morse-telegraph code.
,rhese. flashes are visible at a distance
of 100 miles on clear night, and. In me
drv atmosphere of the cape, ought 10 ~
seen at a greater distance. even ina
that. -, e,,,,.
rested. that the rainy season should Sc
! riouslv impede the progress Of the Bri-
| fish troops. and that IL becomes necessary
| for them 10 concentrate in few srois
| noeitions TO await more favorable conui
tiors. the electric demonstrating corps
would be able 10 keep up constant com
| r,urication between all the camps VIII
almost the same ease a. II telegraphio
| system were i'm active operation.
To military men. who understand IN
harassing condition which exists Wheh ~
/ lire Of communication IS established VIII
/ % strogeling contingent Of the troops
/ ,,bich Is supposed TO be in a dangerous
! Vehement the splendid utility OF TINS
| system appeals with exceptional force
! W-itb n I'm use I'm many Of her past cam
| noiens Great Britain could nave aVold
ed not only most important tacucal ms
takes. but often the loss OF the very
flower Of her army
The signal-baAoon corps dispatched u
| South AFRICA not only took along with /
number Of these balloons ready for use
hut also. material enough % cons rue
orv number in addition that might b
needed during the campaign.
The balloons are made Of god-beater
skin. and the inCandescent lights ar
nIaced one above another on holde
somewhat resembling ladder In appear
an-e ,.,.,
owing 70 the great height at whlc
t,eea balloons will be operated, when one
thov have reached the desired altitud
there will b. no danger whatever 20 thei
from The Boer rifles. and. as The balloo
will only represent a dark. or semltra ls
parent. sphere during its ascent. and I'M
operated. II will be easy enough ate
dark TO escape the vigilance Of the Doe
sbarpshooters while reaching the corre'
altitude.
II has leaked out that experiment
made nj Aldershot with these balloon
. although conducted with great secrec'
have given the fullest satisfaction TO IN
British military authorities, owing 10 q
perfect working of the signals. and n
prcciseness with which the Morse coo
. was conveyed
In fact the discovery Is classed as %
: ing second i'm importance TO none of II
s many important inventions which al
2 yearly bringing warfare within the lin
4 its Of an exact science.
: The shrewd Hawaiian.
2 washington Post)