The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-14
GREAT WORK OF
SIGNAL CORPS
All-American Telegraph System
in Alaska.
WIRE, CABLE AND WIRELESS
REPORT OF GENERAL A. w.
GREELY, CHIEF OFFICER.


Washington. Nov. 1s.-Genera1 A. W.
Greedy, chief signal officer of the United
States army. in his annual report. gives
an interesting account Of the work per
formed by his corps in establishing an
au-American telegraphic system in
Alaska, saying the undertaking is
unique in the annals of telegraphic en-
gineering. The cables used in the Alas
kan system would reach from New
foundland to Ireland, and the land lines
from Washington to Texas, there being
2.079 miles of cable, /. 4S9 miles of land
lines and 107 miles Of wireless lines
General Greedy says the United States
has brought southeastern Alaska. the
Yukon valley and the Bering straits. re-
gion into telegraphic communication
with the rest of the civilized world
General Greedy says that after thor
ough consideration he decided to install
material of American manufacture. TO
be operated by American soldiers. and
to be laid by American ships except
some cable instruments and machinery.
A selected force of men has been so
trained that today the signal CORPS OF
the army is competent to operate in
war emergencies a submarine cable of
any length
Men Stand the Test.
Repairs in Alaska are maintained"
the report says, "by parties stationed
at log cabins about forty miles apart
one signal corps repair man with two
assistants of the line of the army and a
dog team being at each cabin. The
men meet the terrible conditions Of
hardships and privation uncomplain-
ingly and with a fortitude Characters
tic of the American soldier"
The report says the Nome wireless
station has daily and uninterruptedly
transmitted the entire Geographic bust
ness OF the peninsula, 5000 words being
exchanged in one afternoon between
Safety Harbor and ST. Michaels. The
signal corps of the army he says. is
now regularly operating the longest
wireless section of any commercial tele
graph system in the world. The an
nual business of the Seattle cable is es-
timated at $50. 900. and during the year
there has been spent S56.995 for Alaskan
kilograms handled by the signal corps.
Philippine Cables.
Speaking of the Philippines, he says
the sixteen most important islands of
the archipelago are now connected by
cable which lines, he adds. are recOg-
nized as Indispensable both by the mill
tary and civil authorities. During the
year there has been collected and de-
posted i'm the insular treasury of the
Philippines telegraph lines receipts to
the amount of $5S.615. there having been
sent, including government business, all
told more than 1000. 900 messages. the
net expense being 1926, 901. The report
says il is a matter of the utmost i'm
pOrtance that signalling apparatus Of
suitable character be installed at the
more important military defenses at the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts, TO permit
of INSTRUMENTATION between the
army. and the navy. 1t is strongly urged
in the report that steps be taken by the
United States 10 adhere to the Interna-
tiOnal Telegrsphic associa ton. and that
international regulations TO govern te-
Biography in time of war be adopted.