The evening times., 1899-11-09

Va, which will be in the nature of a school
at which officers and men of the army will
be instructed in manufacturing apparatus
for sending and receiving messages without
| wires, and where men are to be made ope-
rators of the new system. An experimental
station to talk between the War Depart
ment and Fort Myer is also to be estab-
lished.
1t was said at the War Department today
that the Signal Corps would be revolution
ized by the wireless system, as messages
can now be sent twenty miles on land very
easily. This will no away with the old
time necessity of the Signal Corps having
| to haul around with 1t miles of heavy
wire and the poles and other parapher-
MALTA for stringing the wire. 1t will re-
| duce the necessary number of men and
wagons in attendance in one line, allow
ing them to scatter, and give a much bet
ter service on battlefields. Linemen will
be things Of the past in a little while. The
Signal Corps officers have made number
| Of experiments with the wireless telegraph,
and General Greely in his annual report
says:
| signaling through space, without wires,
| which, during the past two years. has re-
| ceived SO much attention, has since its
announcement, been constantly under in
|
AT this date wire.ess leiegi Apply has
already proved itself valuable and unique
means of communication over land and
sea, and Is capable of reliability which
| makes 1t of value for military and naval
purposes. England France, Italy, and
several other European and South Ameri-
can countries are also vigorously taking
| up this subject for military and naval ex-
periments.
wi rfrYoan hau hon fad m "
| the Signal Corps for several months past,
under the, direction of Col. James Alien
and Capt. George o. Squier. These ex-
| periments have been undertaken with
view to making thorough physical in
vestigation Of the phenomena involved in
| this novel means Accommodation and Of
| testing and introducing such apparatus
and methods as to establish reliability. and
at the same time secure such simplicity
| in the whole apparatus as to bring its ope-
| Iations within the scope of the regular
non-commissioned officers and privates Of
! the Signal Corps. and such progress has
| been made as TO insure success in the i'm
mediate future.
This method of communication. against
which darkness. fog, and weather condi-
tions avail nothing, has already shown it,
self of value and deserves continuous at
tention and experiment. As a means of
connecting the islands of the West Indies,
Hawaii, and the Philippines, which are
within the range of its action, il should
prove of value. The physical accounts OF
the experiments conducted by the Signal
Corps are necessarily of a technical char
acter and will be presented from time to
time.
military exigencies up to the present
time have required the detail for duty in
the Philippines, Cuba, or Porto Rico, OF
every possible officer and OF every skilled
enlisted man Of the Signal Corps that
could in any way be spared. Under these
conditions it'd has been impossible for ex-
perimental work in wireless telegraphy to
be prosecuted save in an uncertain and
desultory manner wherein the time given
by the officers has been taken from their
few leisure hours. 81
Even under these adverse conditions
the experimental work Of the Signal Corps,
original in many Of its details, has shown
the most absolute certainty Of the ability
tof its officers and men to furnish the army
a practical working system of wireless te-
legraphy, within a few months after regu-
lar experimental work necessary for the
elaboration of details has commenced. This
statement is warranted by the fact that
the Signal Corps has already operated its
own system successfully between Fire ISL
and and Fire Island lightship, distance
Of about twelve miles,
Experiments were to have been made
with the Marconi system under the direc-
ton OF Prof. Marconi. but as he had not
succeeded in sending messages any further
than the Signal Corps has already trans
mitted them, the experiments were de-
clared off and Prof. Marcuni sailed for
London yesterday.
As General Greely says, in his report
the greatest results are expected from es-
tablishing wireless telegraph stations in
the Philippines, Cuba and Porto Rico, in
order that communication may be had be-
tween the islands, without the expense of
cables.
1t is to promote the service at these sta
tions that the school of instruction at Fort
Myer is to be established.
Lieut.. George c. Burnell, now stationed
at Fort Myer, was ordered today to get
what apparatus he has ready at the ear
liest possible moment so that the de-
partment will know what to add to it, and
in about a month it is believed messages
will be flashing back and forth between
points around Fort Myer and the War De-
partment.
The plant at Fort Myer will not differ
greatly from the system used by Marconi.
as both use the Hertzian system OF electric
moves, and the only difference will be in
some of the connections of the batteries,
receivers, and other parts of the instru-
ments.
Besides the instruction in wireless teleg.
raphy General Greedy is preparing to es-
tablish at Fort Meyer Signal Corps post,
where the soldiers can be trained in all
branches Of the Signal Service, such as
flying telegraph trains, balloon trains. au-
tonobiles, and other methods of commu-
nication between forces.
He wants Congress to aid in perfecting
this school, as may be seen by the fol-
lowing from his annual report: -'-
1.-The importance Of this school in an
electrical age is beyond question. and its
operation demands the support of Congress.
In view Of the fact that the construction
of balloon house is not thought to be
within the province Of the Quartermaster
General to construct without special au-
thority of Congress. the Chief Signal ON
Ger Of the Army has submitted defcien-
cy estimate, providing therefor. 1''a.
Unless an appropriation is promptly
made the public interests will suffer. as
instruction in aerial navigation will have
to continue tn the living barracks of the
men, while accommodations for balloon
operations, train drill, and electrical ap-
paratus will be totally wanting, and these
very costly articles will be subject to
rapid deterioration from the weather, they
now being there. without shelter. AMONG |
other very expensive articles received is
an electric light plant. telephone ex-
changes, insulated cable material, etc."