The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-25
TELEGRAPH ON WHEELS.
Signal Corps System Described by Gen.
A. W. Greedy.

From Ainsees Magazine.
The opening Of the Spansh-Amerosh War fond
the Signal Corps with its means and methods q
electrical work fully determined on and aCrurir5lr
formulated. II had very Few officers and men, s.l
carefully selected through promotion ~ merit and
a strictly limited equipment. but its officers were
abreast Of modern electrical inventions. and IG
enlisted men skilled telegraph operators. practical
electricians and nnenen It needed only mCrsg
and authority to develop this skeleton corps ifi5
a large organization, competent 20 build flying
telegraph lines, 10 install telephone exchange. To-
lay and operate submarine cables. and @ -.Es'rrt
and maintain electric light systems wherever ant
Whenever the military eKisencles required. faT
flying telegraph train had been brought n a high
degree Of excellence. With necessary instruments
and batteries the weight is yet - light that t5a
entire plant for one hundred miles can be- C1u'.l
in eight army wagons to which suitable siHH
corps appliances can be readily attached. u boz
sure speedy and satisfactory operations wire Be-
terry and lance wagons have been constructed G
lines conforming best 10 edgsnCies oi field s'rE.-.
disclosed b. past experiences. The running gear
is strictly interchangeable with that ~ AIRY
wagons The standard nyinE telegraph train i1r -u
army corps which Is the signal corps unit pro
yides instruments, batteries, and material t.r %
construction OF hundred miles OF line. Tie
battery power Is obtained from Eagle cells one i-
every mile Of line The wire used Is seyeH-s-rI1t
composed Of ore copper and six steel EIFe
Weighing about ons huHdfed pounds % the ul..
for eXtraOrt tusry purposes sixteen miles tt iEr
wire are highly insulated. The Instrument fa-
sixteen Offices and eight separate lines c1u1rs-
sixteen sounding relays. sixteen vbraters aEi Tao
telephone sWitchboards. The special yehi.lrs ga'-
sist Of Two cable wagons two battery wagons. eIzll
lance trucks. and eight wire wagons. 'a.s
wagon carries eight miles Of Insulated wire. 1-.
In addition, two miles Of light cOpper-ar-..- p
cable, for crossing sWsmps. rivers. or arms Of is
sea These cables mounted IN dix reels. tE
which they are readily distributed or recovered. l-
case Of necessity the reels can be removed ana 'lr
distribution and recovery made by hand al.i
wire wagon carries ten miles u naked WiTc, ar. BE-
provided with instruments and battery mater.l..
30 that it may serve - a Telegraph Ohce lh'
battery wagons are arranged Tor use as e'a[.'
telegraph IiAti0n. having tatteHes blanks. ara o.
erythlnE necessary FOR INSTRUMENTATION. afi. D.
additioh are fitted up telephone eIrhaHsas
lance truck carries three hundred aad twenty lanes
with detachable hard rubber insulttofs- The lane.
are Of tough light wood eighteen feet long, s13 ~
cry NTH lsrce is provided with an extension 'sr
ave feet long for use a. road crossings 90 o.a..
important points.
Aerial lines of naked wire W usually ~-
structed, but In emergencies. such a. existed %
Santiago and iu TIE recent operations in the f-.r
pines. the Insulated sire Is stretched al.HE r
road thrown into the unferbFlsn am mus .'.
for days e. Z tine. TIE signal Corps tas ...ts
and improved many Instruments Tor hr-l te.sts..
and telspa0ny. The greatest single ifspf1s .fsa. p
a device inveutes By Col. james Allen. -irA
Corps. known tscnnicslly ss vibrator. HE
Il is a portable kit weighing less tasF Ter r.-a-
carried oy signal man. and Is CDfrsfr-
with a telephone or vibrator. NheE l1f-.r.
regular telegraph circuit it enables operator 20 .
two messages SlnultsneousY. either iH no N.
or OPPOSITE directions, and 4lso permits Elr .s--
use of the telegraph and telephone TIE is.-si q.
Of the signal Corps - 70 have tf- "at.~ f.t ..
grapA equiDaEss fttes with electrical DoDsr
The lntrodaction o, electrical automobile ,-s
tery power used Is present In such i9-" '.t' .
car be 1zed either IN connection SltH ."rf.i.
operations or as motor, according 10 i-- 80
sites Il the gecaslOu.