The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-21
SIGNAL CORPS WORK.
Remarkable System of Telegraph Es-
tablished in the Philippines.

Correspondence of Associated Press.)
MANILA, March l5.-The signal
corps of our army in the Philippines
Colonel Allen AZ present commanding,
have in operation today 1851 miles OF
wire in Luson and the Visayans. They
have established l6O telegraph offices
and with total muster of SS1 men and
q officers this department handles 1885,
containing from twenty to thousand
words each. Every Office on the sys-
TEN receives daily from II a. m. the
official time from Manila.
This 1.55l miles of wire was first laid
in the wake OF our advancing soldiers,
thus keeping our firing line in COM
munioation with corps headquarters
in Manila. Then. when time permitted,
the light copper wire Used for quick
running during marches and fighting
was replaced by an iron wire on tenn
porary poles and eventually this second
wire was replaced by heavy iron wire
well strung on poles.
Thus the 1851 miles of wire has ac-
tually been laid three times. Our ar
my on July 81. of last year, had but
l2g miles OF wire in operation and dur
ing the months Of August, Septem-
Der, October and November $50 more
miles We're added to this original l29
During December, 1899. the signal corps
set up AIS miles Of wire. during Janu-
airy, 1890, 402 miles and during Febru
airy 2S5 miles, these figures giving the
total distance in operation today. The
central office OF this entire system is,
of course. in Manila, where eight trunk
lines converge and preparations are
making TO receive four more trunk
lines this month.
There is a commercial cable from
Manila to Ilo Ilo on Panay, from Ilo
Ilo to Negros island and from Negros
to the island of Cebu. Our wires in
the Visayan islands amount to 120
miles. From Ilo Ilo We have a line to
CapiZ through the interior and then
to Ilo Ilo. On Negros we have lines
north and south to Manalpa and JAM
amailan respectively.
On Cebu we have a line from Cebu,
the capital, to the interior of the town
of Karkat. Not far from Cebu are the
islands Of Samar and Leyte, recently
occupied by the Forty-third under
Colonel Murray; these latter islands will
be placed In communication with Ma
Mia by running a cable from Cebu to
the island of Rohul, then a land wire
across Bohul. again a cable to Leyte
and land wires to the principal towns
thereon. From Leyte the line will get
to Samar by cable across the narrow
straits of San Juanito and in Samar it
will run as far north as the town of
Calbayog. This new branch will be
about $50 miles long.
With the idea of eventually placing
the island of MindanaO in communi-
cation with the corps headquarters in
Manila a ca BILE will be laid from the
southern end of Cebu island to the
northern shore of Mindanao. From
the landing point on Mindanao wires
will be run to Cottabatto Illigan, Mis-
amio and Nakajalar Bay. This pro-
lection will require about 200 more
miles of wire.
There are 1.431 miles of wire on Lu-
zOn and the island is thoroughly we'll
covered. From the twelve trunk lines
there are many ramiications running
into practically every town where we
have garrisons. In Manila itself the
singal corps operate a single system
of wires for the use of the several gov
ernmental departments here located,
as well as an official telephone system.
The signal corps has had, and is still
having. much difficulty in securing
good telegraph operators. A good op-
orator can do pretty well at home and
this service in the Philippines is not
attractive enough to draw good men
from good positions in the United
States