New-York tribune., 1906-11-26
rlRAWAY ARMY POST.
z,.s Prolific Cause of
Insanity.
rr-om THE Tribune Buresu-l

~ o5-One OF the pioneer
- most buildings in remote section oi
ETC is soon 10 be torn down inns Il '"e
-, which has been occupied Tor several
s'4O- -. wa, NJ the United States Signal
- who have been stationed IN that territory
- ennearance Of the station Is suggestive OF
= se-l,, hebitation Of the fronuersman- being
-. of native logs of the conventional type or
.-oh,.oc+r,re Of the backwoods. The station is
Ia near the mouth Of the Cosma hiVer'
-. eo--,--fve miles from Fort Giooon- ana is
: r. businesses Of an Alaskan forest Hardly
u - ,osees the unblazed route and the men
- have beeu stationed there. II may be imag-
- ,ave nassed lonely existence In fact.
-,,s-a1 A v. Greely. who was for many years
.b.os signal officer and who is a major
,.,arsl in command Of q military division. at
s-r,,,+es the insanity which existed to an alarm
-, .v-s-t among signal corps men. as compared
- other branches Of the service their isola-
ton.
The three men who were at this station had
themselves for society day and night. week in
nd week out Their duty consisted in receiving
and sending dispatches, a telegraph Office being
t,,.+e5 in one corner Of the building. They we're
obliged 70 get fuel for the place keep it in order
-enai- The telegraph IN each direction for miles
and be ready 10 relieve unfortunate sufferers
,-no we're without food and shelter and whose
,-a7de-ing path led them in the direction of this
refuge.
Tie building which has just been abandoned
vas erected in 1903 by Captain George s Gibbs
one q the best known, most energetic and in
qanious officers Of the army signal corps Gibbs
Vro Is nov with Brigader General Bell in Cuba
v9s one Of The first signal corps officers to go TO
Alaska. He was there in advance of the tele-
grauh and the cable. and conducted some Of the
nal for Of
communication.
on these trips he was accompanied by only
Two or three equally hardy and daring men.
They lived in the open, with only such supplies
es they could carry on their backs and they
climbed mountains and dived down into the
great g0rEeS. penetrating 10 many places proba-
biz where men had never before been In the
course n his work Gibbs made maps OF the
counr-v and accumulated information of great
value afteTWard 10 those commercially interest
ed. vel as those bent on the adventurous
work II prospecting This building one of
tn stations erected by Gibbs and his followers
7 Is a cabin. IL by - feet. with a roof Of such
primitive materials as bark and dirt. In addi-
ton 70 The telegraph office. with its apparatus in
one corner, the building contains one cooking
stove and one heating stove This has been the
rIace since then where the signal corps men at
tached 10 the station have slept ate and worked
They were the only human beings living within
q radius 0f thirty-fve miles
The climate Is said 10 be not disagreed ble by
any means. especially as the men go prepared
for The rtgors of winter They are supplied with
special foot and hand covering while Arctic
caps, which may he pulled down over the neck
and face are issued 10 soldiers OF all branches
serving in Alaska
The accompanying picture OF a signal corps
man dressed in winter garb Will furnish some
idea Of the manner IN which Il IS necessary 10
sTath the figure The opening in the front Of
the visor. which shows black IN the picture
gives an opportunity for the wearer 70 see and
breathe ~ course, IN such a costume as this
& Il out Of the question 70 hurry and some Of
the long journeys are made on foot a man
trudging along beside his baggage laden sled
drawn by dogs In the summer the climate re-
Quires less II an impeachment in the way Of
clothes and Wera + not for the loneliness Of the
Hfe which Is simple enough 70 satisfy the most
eEscting. there would he complaint gainst
this existence, 50 close 70 unmolested nature.