New-York tribune., 1900-04-22
WORK OF THE SIGNAL HEN.
DANGERS AND HAZARDS OF THEIR LINE
OF DUTY IN THE PHILIPPINES

OF DUTY IN THE PHILIPPINES
Manila March 15.-The Signal Corps Of our Army
in the Philippines, Colonel Allen at present com
manding have operation to-day 1851 miles of
wire on Luzon and the Visayan Islands; they have
established $50 graph offices. and with total
muster OF 3S1 and twenty-one officers this De-
partment handles $4,000 messages month, the
messages containing twenty to a thousand words
each. Every officer the system receives daily
az II a m the official time from Manila
This 155l miles of wire first laid in the wake
OF our advancing soldiers, thus keeping our firing
line in communication with corps headquarters IN
Manila; then when time permitted the light cop
per 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 a heavy iron wire, we'll strung on
strong poles. Thus the 1851 miles of wire has
actually been laid three times; the third and last
time they erected in their present substantial
manner. Our Army July 81 of last year, had
only 129 miles Of wire in operation, and during the
months Of August, September. October and No
venber, 800 miles added TO this original
129; during December 1899 the Signal Corps set up
AS miles of wire; during January. 1900, 402 miles,
and during February 2S5 miles. these figures giving
the total distance in operation to-day. The central
office of this entire system is of course in Manila;
here eight trunk lines converge, and preparations
are making TO receive four trunk lines this
month.
PERIL4S OF LONELY PARTIES.
Grafton will lead to the conclusion that the S5l men
Of the Signal Corps have done and are doing a
good deal of work out here. Add to this that the
first field wires laid right along with the ad-
vance of our troops into hostile country; that
sometimes the Signal Corps get ahead or sep
arated from the column and must shift for them
selves unprotected; that the second ard third lines
often built through country abandoned by our
troops and overrun with rowing bands Of insur-
gents and cutthroats; that the enemy are contnu-
ally cutting the lines, carrying away bodily lengths
of half mile more, which must be Immediately
replaced; that in doing this repair work the signal
Corps must OF necessity operate in small parties
and the enemy always lying in wait Tor sIllal
detachments OF American troops IN order TO wipe
them out add, furthermore. that the country
through which these lines run is most difficult for
the construction and maintenance OF telegraph
wires and appreciation of the work done
may be had. 1t be called hazardous TO say
the least.
When General Grant advanced from Angeles into
Zambales Province last December Lieutenant w
H. Stamford and ten men of the Signal Corps ac-
cornpanied his expedition. running their field wire
and keeping the column in communication with us
base At point half way between Florida Blanca
and Dunilupihan. a distance of eleven miles Lieu
tenant Stamfords supply OF wire gave out, and he
and his ten men camped alone with the end of their
line await further supply, while the column
pushed into Dunilupihan An instrument was
attached to the line, and Angeles promised more
wire early the next morning. That afternoon Lieu
q
the neighboring country and discovered hun
dred and fifty insurrectos camped less than mile
away. They had remained carefully hidden while
General Grants column was passing, but later
showed unfortunate tendency to wander through
the country. Leutenant Stamford realized that If
they discovered his camp they could kill his entire
party before help could get to him. Then he was
glad that he had taken the pains TO hide his field
wire as well as possible he went along and
there was just so much less chance Of wandering
rebel discovering it and following it up until ne
came the signal Lieutenant Stamford and
his ten men removed the shelter Of a bamboo
grove carrying their instrument and line with
them, and prepared pass vigilant night The
Americans took advantage Of such natural de-
fences the bamboOs afforded; the Lieutenant
placed his sentres with studied care. and the
whole party glad when the short twilight
thickened into night. All night long they watched
and waited, and nothing happened they dared not
light fires, and had 10 eat travel rations cold.
They queried Angeles as 10 when they could expect
the new wire and reinforcements. and Angeles an
cred Early this morning" No one slept that
night. Morning came and the day grew hotter.
while in the shade of the bamboos the ten signal
hungry tired and still on the alert, awaited
attack for they had seen the enemy coming
In their direction. The strain intense; II
o'clock the instrument between Lieutenant STAN
fords knees began TO tick. The expectaut
read the sounds: il the official time from
Manila
Not having caught sight of Lieutenant stam-
o'clock the ~einforcements and wire from Angeles
arrived and two hours later Lieutenant Stamford
and his detail were IN Duniupihan and General
Grant was IN communication with Manila.
STOPPED WORK TO FIGHT
Upon another occasion Lieutenant stamford and
hts ten men had been some five or six miles ahead
Of the main column all the morning; they stopped
just outside Of Florida Blanca Here they
Joined by Captain RurIbc.d; Of the 22d In
fantry. and a detail of RUmboId asked for
news Of the enemy; Stamford told him he had
them Runbod passed ahead, looking for
them, and Stamford's returned 10 their work,
which happened 70 be in open field Suddenly
the enemy opened on Stamford's party. the bullets
combing the grass beside them. The signal men
went on with their work, but when they heard
Captain Rumbold's detail firing not than tve
hundred yards away the temptation for fight was
strong. and they permission to drop their
tools and assist their companions. They deployed
and took active part IN the engagement. which
resulted IN the killing among six others, of in
surgent captain who wore the sword and pistol OF
Ensign Wood. killed some weeks previously when
the rebels surprised the gunbOat Urdaneta in the
Orani River
Lieutenant Stamford proceeded with General
Grants column, running wires from Dnilupiban
into Orani village and Balanga. Whenever he could
! get time so to DO he replaced his field wire win
4 the secondary iron wire. AT DUnilupibaa the wire
again ran out. and Stamford hit upon the ingenious
non. which the insurgents strengthen with coil
after coil of tightly wound wire, taken from former
continue his line into Oranl This is surely max
ing use b Oh tb fbap f ayen ai be
they wire from lines. chopped II into fine
bits and fired it out of smoothbore cannon at the
I signaImen who came along to repair the break
Going into Orani for the first time with his wire
Stamford found the town TO be -eoCcupied by the
insurgents, our troops having cleared out TWO days
before The IAeutenant had not heard OF this 3nu
marched right into the village streets before DIS
covering his error. He then turned around and