Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-11-28
General Greedy say Loneliness
II. Was The Cause.
LIFE At REMOTE ARMY POSTS
Three Signal Service Men in Remote
Section of Alaska Had Themselves
for Company Week in and Week
Out.

| WASHINGTON. Nov. 27.-One oil
the pioneer army post buildings III
remote section of Alaska Is to be
torn down. This Is the station which
| has been occupied for several years
| by the men of the United States
Signal Corps who have been stationed
In that territory. The appearance oi
the station is suggestive OF the early
fabitation of the frontiersman, being
built of native logs OF the conven-
tional type of architecture OF the
backwoois. The station Is located
near The mouth of the Cessna River.
about forty-five miles from Fort
Gibson, and lis in the vastness OF an
Alaskan forest. Hardly any one pass
= s the nnblazed route. ana the men
who have been stationed there. ii
may he imagined have passed q lone.
lily existence. In fact General A. w.
Greedy, who was for many year,,
Il chief signal officer, ana who is
now major general in command of
"a military division. attributes the
| insanity which existed to an alarm,
ing extent among signal corps men,
| as compared with the other branches
CT the service, TO their isolation.
The three men who were at this
station had themselves for society
day and night, week In and week
ihut. Their duty consisted in receiv.
! ing and sending dispatches, IL tel.
iegraph office being located in one
corner of the building They were
Obliged to get fucd for the place.
keep 1t in order, repair the telegraph
i In each direction for miles, aud be
ready to relieve unfortunate sufferers
who were without food and shelter
and whose wandering path led them
In the direction of this refuge.
| The building which has just been
abandoned was built in 1893 by Capt
| George s. Gibbs. one of the hes,
known, most energetic ana ingenious
officers of the army signal corps
Gibbs, who IS T1w with Brigndier
IGenera. Bell in Cuha, was one O..
the first signal corps officers to "a
| to Alaska He was there in advance
| of tine telegraph and the cable, and
iveys for the land and lines OF mil.
litary communication.
On these trips he was accompanied
by only two or three equally hardy
land daring men. They lived In the
open, with only such supplies as they
lcould carry lln their backs, ami they
Y - '..-'S'i WV GU upM u
into the great gGrges. penetrating
TO many places where probably meE
had never before been. In the
course of his work Gibbs made maps
tcf the country and accumulated infer
nation of great value afterwards
to those commercially Interested, rs
well as tlDlsc bent Oh the adventuroua
work of prospecting This station
was. one Of the buildings erected by
GIBBS and his followers. 1t is n cabin
16 by 20 feet, with a roof OF such
lprimative materials as bark and dirt.
In addition to the telegraph Office
with its apparatus in one corner The
building contains one cooking stove
land one heating stove. This has
Ibeen the place since then, where
the signal corps men attached to the
Istation have slept, ate and worked.
They were the only human beings
living within radius OF thirty.nve
miles. (,
The climate is sad not to be dis
agreeable by any means, espe:iall,
as the men go prepared for the rigors
ioi winter. They are supplied witd
Especial food and hand covering while
Arctic caps, which may be- pulle{
/ down over the neck ahd face, arr
issued to soldiers of III brancle;
Iserving IN Alaska.
|