The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-03-10


with the vaEafisa Of tho ordinary
telegraph operator this advantage
VII appeal strongly.
The battle sa To ID az good on
example as any Of the great use
made Of the field telephone. Gen
oku.H heaaHuarterH were situated
on a hut With an unpranauneubls
name which Wiil always be known
"a the foreign Observers as Head
quarters iiili Gen oku and hts
staff occupied the crest Of the hill
On The south slope. not loo yards
away from the general himself
we're the telephones. four or five u
them Bach telephone, as shown
Ia this picture. vas sheltered from
the wind BY parts Of shelter tents
attached 10 poles Il was Geld dur
ma the days q the "a 10 fighting
and thls shelter VAS necessary.
Prom the HI telephone lines ran
70 each Of The divisions. 70 the
eaVaffs brigade which protected
the extreme lsn flank q the army
and 10 the headquarters Of Field
Marshal OYams. IA the rear From
each tlvistsaa and from the cavalry
brigade isisphano lines ran % the
vartahh brigade and advanced rsEi
msuta Ia the day tune telephones
ran ~ the actual advanced fight
lnk Hines and at night and dur
ing lGla ia the fighting the wires
are carried 20 the outpoatH. With
this system It requires but few
minutes % transmit an order from
Field Marshal Oyamn through tho
corps aud division commander 10
the very firinR line or outpostH
With the advance Of an army or
division OF even a regiment the
telephone also advances The mill
tary telephone and telegraph coll
umu attached t. the second army
numbers about 200 men. When
nseasaaFy they are assisted by 9TH
e. soldiers or b. Chinese coolies.
This column IL provided with spe b.
ulally built carts for carrying their
wires. Instruments and poles These
are small uue-horae carts bearing
racks In which the poles and reels
Of wires 1T The poles are about
twelve feet LONG and have hard
rubber tops through which the
wires run. The wires are not fast
ened 10 the poles. but run through
Sits in the rubber tip which are
cut IN such = way that the wires
cannot clip out when the pole 10
up. Arrangements are also made
for attaching one pole TO the end
Of another where IL IL necessary
10 raise The wire higher than the
height Of n single pole. But poles
are not always obtsihahlo and u 10
often necessary 70 raise the wife
with branches OF trees. 20 attach
Il to tree trunks or TO use even
corn stalks To support IT, Some
tlfEss u IL laid along the ground
Insulated wire IL. OF course, ex-
cluHivsly used. Two sizes erp fur
nishsd the army. one Of these, with
Hs insulation. IL about the size OF
the ordinary telegraph wire the
other IL very fine wire and ls only
usad for short temporary lines.
The heavy wire IL wound on LARGE
reels which require two men to
carry and the fine wire is on a
small reel which IS furnished with
straps 80 that II can easily be sus-
pended around . mans neck
strInKins the wire IL very sim
pie matter. Two men walk across
the fields carrying the reel Of wire
on a pole on their shoulders, allow
ing the wire 10 uneoil as they walk.
while another comes behind 20 see
that the wire reeie off evenly and
that IL does not lay slack on the
ground. Behind comes the cartH and
more men. At stated intervals they
pick up wire. attach Il to n pole.
stick sthe lower spiked end OF the
pole into the ground and the wire
Is up. Occasionally. in making a
sharuturn 4 IL necessary TO guy the
pole with 3 wire running 10 the
ground. bet even this Is done with
almost insredible speed. like ev-
cry other man In the Japanese
army the soldiers OF the telephone
column know iuet what to do and
Just how to do IL IN the best and
quickest way.
Taking down a line IL even cas-
Ter. The process IL simply revers-
er. first come the men who take
down the poles and behind them
come the lmen with the reel. the
duty Of the third man OF this party
now being to turn the reel which
the others carry 80 that the wire
viii be reeted upon. or course.
only q single wire Is used. a ground
circuit being completed by buryinR
large copper plates at either end
Of the line.
Two styles of instruments are
used In the Japanese army one
IL the ordinary Induction coils and
other apparatus inside the box. The
other is portable combination In
strument the receiver ana trans
mittor being attached to single
hand bar. with this instrument
is carried a small box which con-
tains tho electric machinery. Both
Of these Instruments pack neatly
into small leather cases. easily car
ried. With one % these instruments
a momber Of the telephone corps
can tap n wire ut any place and
any time ana teirphons 10 his