The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-08
THE NEW COAST SIGNAL SERVICE.
Ready for Immediate Revival Wheh
Occasion Requires.

when the war broke out, the navy
department made haste to provide
some adequate means of protecting the
Atlantic seaboard from uneXpected at
tack. II was one of the credltaple
operations of the war that the Depart
n1ent succeeded within short time IN
establishing a signal service from from
Maine to Florida, when kept every
important point guarded. Ihere Vert
"a signal stations established between
these two points, and they were sur
fcientlv close together at important
points to prevent the approach u
anv hostile fleet undiscovered. A large
sum of money was spent Wlthln d
few weeks in pcrfeoU HS SIG -
service. and no one otusloe Oh In0
government empILyes AH~W now per
fectlv we'll the whole Atlantic seaboard
was covered.
and costly service at the close of the
war was criticised by many, and an
effort was made to induce the de-
nar+ment to adopt a permanent coast
signal service similar to that main
tanned by France and England. This,
however, would have been an immense
IL costly outlay of funds, far greater
on account of the amount spent In
any European country. The navy ue-
partment however, carefully worked
a o
which to-day is so efficient and mex
nensive that it deserves greater praise
Than il receives. It is maintained as
a separate branch of the navy depart
rnent. and in times of peace II mas
nothing to do except to keep its sys-
TEN Ia such state OF ethclency that
on short notice it can perform Valua-
Bile work.
When the service established its series
Of stations along the coast it built SO
portable houses or stations. These
frame structures could be erected ana
taken down on short notice. When the
war closed the service was dlscon-
tinue: but the portable station houses
were taken apart and stored at various
points near the site Of the station The
new service contemplates using these
portable signal stations in times oil
war Each station house and all the
signaling equipment are kept in stock,
so that on short notcie they can De
hurried down by fast freight to thelr
positions and put up within a Few
hours. Each signal station house is
numbered. and a chart of the service
shows corresponding numbers along
the coast and at what point the pota-
he station house is kept in stock. The
coast is divided into districts, and
in each district there is a certain
number Of stations. The cost of stor-
age is very small.
To man these signal stations would
require a large force and in the event
of hostilities the navy could ill-afford
to spare the necessary number or Ell
fcient men. Green recruits could not
we'll undertake the work; for the i'm
portance of the signal service is too
great to be jeopardized by men un-
familiar with it. At the outbreak OF
the war the signal service included
number of men trained for the work,
and volunteers were Immediately en-
listed and trained by the veterans. BY
these emergency measures the coast
was in time carefully protected; but
the situation at the declaration OF
hcstilites was critical
To avoid a crisis which might prove
disastrous to the country, the coast
signal service has perfected system
by which the naval militia of the diff
ferent states will take immediate
charge of the signal stations in times
of war. large force of the naval
militia along the Atlantic coast is be-
ing drilled in signaling, and these men
could be drawn upon at a days notice
for effective work. Many of them saw
active service in the signal service
during the wer, and they have further
increased their skill and efficiency by
a thorough course of study and train
ing under the supervision of promi-
nent officers in the navy.
So effective has this system become
that naval officers do not hesitate to
say that the signal service is ready for
any emergency, while the cost in times
of peace is trifling. In the event of
war word would be sent out to ship
the different signal station houses to
their respective positions, and the COM
plete equipment would follow. Then
the demand would be made upon the
70 mill a
they would be hurried to their posts
Thus within a day or two the whole
coast could be amply guarded by 81
different signal stations thoroughly
equipped for all work and in the hands
CT competent men.
Each station is supposed to be equip
ped with a telegraph intrument and
every code of signals used by war ships
and the merchant marine. The signal
men are then able to exchange mes
sages with any approaching ship, ne
matter of what nationality or from
what port of the world Each station
requires five men. There are two ex
perienced signalmen, two expert teleg
graphers, and cook. This provides
for night and day work, signalmar
and telegrapher being on duty al
the time. In times of war the signal
men and telegraph operators are re
gularly enlisted as petty officers, anC
the cook as a common seaman. TIT
telegraph operators must be qualities
experts. familiar with the signs ant
codes used by the signal service. TIL
small wooden signal station building /
arranged to provide comfortable quart
ers for these five men, and they woult
live there night and day in winter AM
summer should necessity demand 1t.
In the daytime the signalman woul
spend his time in the top of his 50-foo
signal mast, where, armed with a pal
of double lens binoculars, he woul
scan the seas in all directions. Hi
orders would be to signal every pas
sing craft, whether sailing ship o
steamer, and to enter the questions an
replies in the logbook. In the daytim
the signaling would all be done b.
means Of the international code sigma
flags, displayed at the top of the so
foot mast. In the night time the Shrou
light or Meyer code of signals woul
be used. Ordinary coasting ships woul
not be reported but merely entered 4
the logbook.
Each station is connected by privat
wire with the navy department q
Washington. In time of war the opera
tor would report Immediately to head
quarters Of the signal district In whic
the station was located the signalin
Aof any ship or stamer of importanc,
and responsible officers there woul
decide wheher II was important enoug
to send on to Washington. It is be
lfeuaH that he Tptf ~,