The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-17

forts of the signal officers and men under
I Major Glassford these diiapidated lines
! We're speedily put in serviceable ccndi-
! ton.
Perhaps better judgment as to the
! Spanish telegraph system can be drawn
! from the statement made personally TO
| the Chief Signal Officer OF the Army by
a prominent man, who has been Tor years
/ in business in San Juan. He stated that
] in all that time his firm had never been
able to send telegram and receive IN
the same day an answer from Ponce, aSout
eighty miles distant.
There were handled over the Signal
| Corps lines during the fiscal year 232.1
messages, of which more than One-Ealf
were commercial. Owing to the very low
tariff. the cash receipts amounted only to
$S.34S.Sf. At the commencement Ct the
year the telegraph lines aggregated l.,
2405 kilometres tabout 40 miles, IN
length. Thirty-two offices were maintain
ed, the maintainance and repairs being
conducted entirely by the Signal Corps of
the Army.
In this work OF reconstruction the
length of the lines have been materially
reduced. SO that the system June 80,
1900, aggregated in length of wire as fol-
lows; Telegraph, SIS miles; telephone,
10 miles: aggregate. 6SS miles.
In the Philippines.
1T is impossible for the Chief Signal
Officer Of the Army to convey by this brief
resume IN adequate idea of the work of
the Signal Corps in the military division
of the Philippines during the past fiscal
year. II is also to be said that so impor-
tant and extensive have been the duties
devolvng upon the insufficient force OF
signal officers and men that time has been
lacking TO make complete reports of all
operations. Indeed. IL may be added that
the efficient work of the Signal Corps in /
the Philippines has only been possible
through the action Of the President in in
creasing to suitable number the tenn
porary force of the Signal Corps under the
act Of March 2. 1899. and through the cor
dial support of the Secretary OF War in
promptly according the Chief Signal officer
OF the Army every means necessary for
this work. In addition, the Military Com
mittees Of the House and Senate nave
cheerfully recommended in each and every
case the full amount OF the estimates sub
mitted by the Chief Signal Officer Of the |
Army.
Recurring to the practical work OF the
Signal Corps in the Philippines. 1t is TO |
be added that on June 80. 1892 there were |
in existence only l39 miles of telegraph |
line which connected division headquar-
tiers with the various garrisOBs ana out |
posts on the island OF Luzon. On June 80. |
1900 there were in existence no less than |
3 i75 miles of Signal Corps land lines and |
cables. This increase in the mileage does |
not fully indicate the extent Of the Work |
done During field operations it became |
necessary to construct temporary lying |
lines, which were necessarily recovered |
or abandoned as circumstances required /
when the field force was withdrawn tenn |
porarily. In addition there have been
t..I, tst..t1
BILE stretches Of line were destroyed in |
provinces temporarily abandoned. or |
through regions lilly guarded. In connec-
tiOn with General Lawton's famous march !
through untraveled eastern l-uZcn. when |
Major Thompson performed the remark |
able feat deemed impossible OF accom- /
plishment, of keeping Lawton in daily !
communication with the commanding gem
cral at Manila there We're about 100 miles |
of line constructed, OF which fully 10 miles |
were necessarily abandoned and The rest !
recovered by Captain Russell and his eff /
cient command. II thus follows that !
there were constructed during the year
S03 miles OF field lines which are no longer /
in existence. This makes the entire tele- !
graph construction during the fiscal year !
ending June 80. 1900, aggregate i,2IS miles ;
of land lines and cables. an average OF .
II miles per day, Sundays and holidays /
included.
ION June 60 1900. there were in opera
ton 1907 miles OF telegraph lines and
cables, with 400 telegraph and telephone
offices. of which no less than sol connected
directly with the headquarters of the com 1
manding general at Manila.
THE Chief Signal Officer of the Army
found it impossible to spare an officer OF |
the Signal Corps for duty with the Paris /
Exposition. BY special directions such ar
exhibit of the instruments and work OF the I
corps was made as was possible under the /
circumstances.
Fortunately for the interests OF the 4
corps its exhibit was c,aced under the ef- /
icient charge of Lieut.. H. c. Poundstone. /
u S. N. 1t is a qualification 10 acknowl- I
edge the interest and skill displayed by +
Lieutenant Poundstone in the arrangement /
and description of the work OF the. Signal |
Corps, and doubtless it is due to his eff
cheney that the grand prix' was awarded
to the Signal Corps"