The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-08-11
SOLDIERS ARE GAY AND
CARE-FREE IN CAMP.

fourth-st.. opposite the "doughboys."
and with only artillery and cavalry
for companions. the two signal corps
companies under command of Mai Fl.
B. Britton have an interesting but
sparsely visited camp.
Members of this command, which
include Company A from Ypsilanti,
and Company b from Ionia. after
stringing the 20 phones which com
prise the post exchange, have been
spending their time perfecting their
other stunts.
Being the eyes of the army, they
must always be alert. These COM
panies. especially the Ypsilanti boys,
who were first organized, are prof-
Client In most OF the modes OF mill
tary signaling, including the operation
Of individual "semaphore" signals,
telegraph. telephone and wireless, cav
airy buyers, heliograph by day, acety-
lene lights by night, the Ardois lights
used by the navy, etc.
or the methods OF communication
mentioned the semaphore signaling q
perhaps the simplest; 1t requires only
two men and they need only two
pieces of paper and field glasses as
equipment TO work the system up to
1000 yards, az the Company A has
done on the Detroit rife range.
One OF the men, by waving his
white-papered arms according TO the
Meyer code Of telegraphy, communi-
Gates with the other. No flags. how
ever, are necessary.
Wireless an interesting Feature.
Another OF the interesting features
OF the signal corps work Is their wire
less outfit. the automobile for which
was furnished by the Lion Motor Car
Co. of Adrian. A telescope aerial.
which will rise 65 feet into the air
when extended, Is part of the outfit,
which also includes hand generator
which furnished power enough to send
a message through the ether foN 80
miles.
Another part OF signal corps work
that Is not SO well known is the opera
ton OF the cavalry buzzer. Dots and
dashes can be sent from the buzzer.
which also has telephone connection,
to station perhaps Ave miles away.
The message travels through insuiat-
ed wire which has been dropped on
the ground from a reel wagon drawn
at a brisk trot and pulled to one side
of the road with q pole tipped with
peculiar hook. The same hook also
aids In Keeling up the wire as rapidly
as II IL laid.
Company A also has some stunts
which II will soon start in order 10
attract attention to the company
street at night. There will be flashes
of the acetylene light signals which
now supercede the heliograph after
the sun goes down. The Ardois sys-
tenn OF signaling by red and white
code lights, one OF the sights familiar
to all who have seen a feet OF battle
ships at night, has been taken up by
the infantry and will be shown by
Major Britton's men.
The signal corps, like the artillery.
has attracted an unusually intelligent
personnel. Seven OF the members OF
Company A, the Ypsilanti delegation,
have wireless stations.
The First regiment and band, of De-
troit troops, will escort Gov. Osborn
from the Yantic TO camp about 4:3O
D. m. Mayor Bell has declare the
day a civic holiday.
The camp had Its drst baptism OF
rair last night. Not tent was blown
down, however. The sand absorbed
the rain so that drills this morning
and an extended order or formation
by the regiments were possible.
ATKINSON.