The evening times., 1899-12-29
TELEPHONES FOR LUZON
General Greedy Ships $50, 900
Worth Of Material to Manila.
Lines to BE Established In All Parts
of the Main and Lesser Philippine
Islands-ImprOveme In the Sys-
TENS Ised-How Com m IN ication Is
Kept Up During the Battles.

General Greely, of the Signal Corps, has
just shipped 10 San Francisco S50, 900 worth
of material to be used in establishing the
army telephone and telegraph lines in the
Philippines. The material will be sent on
the first transports that sail, which will
be early in January.
The shipment will consist of miles OF
wire, telegraph and telephone instruments,
batteries. and other things which go to
make up complete equipment for tele-
graph and telephone stations.
The material will reach Manila early In
March. and Col James Allen, who is in
charge OF the Signal Corps in the Philip
pines. will proceed 10 perfect system of
communicat IN.
The use Of the telephone in war has been
watched with considerable interest by
army officers. and General Greeiy's corps is
probably the first in the world to demon
strate that ii can be operated successfully.
1t has been found of great value when de-
tailed constructions had to be sent and
there was not time TO telegraph as fully
as the officers in charge thought the case
required.
In cases where the orders were 10 be
made matters OF record the telegraph in
struments were in order that there might
not be any misunderstanding in case the
orders were ever questioned.
In telephoning in the field the wires
have been carried to the firing lines in
many engagements in the Philippines and
officers have been enabled to communicate
with parts of their command at some dis.
tanep from Them whom talaUra NH
have been too slow method to have the
orders executed as quickly as desired.
There have been several kinds of instru-
ments used in the Philippines one of them
being combination telephone and teIe-
graph. The batteries are carried in a
leather sack swung over the shoulders of
the operator and while quite heavy can
be carried by a man without impeding his
movements. The insulated wire trails be-
hind the operator and in this way he can
keep with the moving troops and be ready
at moments notice TO send or receive
a message.
The receiver and transmitter is in the
form OF tube at one end of which is an
ear piece, and at the other transmitter.
The body OF the tube has piece of metal
set in 1t which answers for a telegraph
key. and when pressed gives forth a buzz
zing sound, much louder than the clicking
Of the ordinary telegraph key. II there is
too much noise or the line is interfered
with so as to make the telephone connec-
ton imperfect the operator can use the
'buzzer," which. with heavy electric
can be heard where the average
telegraph instrument would be at fault
md can telegraph messages as well as il |
ne were using the regulation telegraph
iey.
If the interruption of the line ceases he !
AN resume, telephoning and alternate be- |
ween telegraphing and telephoning as the
emergency requires.
The work of the telegraph lines is in
reasing rapidly in the Philippines and /
messages amounting to 3e0,00 or 400 900
words are being sent daily in connection
viz the movement of the troops.
The signal corps now has telegraph and
telephone lines all over the Islands of Lu-
on. Negros, Panay and Cebu, and the fact
hat most of the lines are being kept in
peration is said by army officers to indi.
ate more than anything else that the re- |
\liion is being crushed out, and that the
atiyeS are returning to peaceful Dursuits |