The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-04-12

in Uncle Sans army. Literally
this means to communicate by
sight, hearing and touch. using all
Kinds OF Instruments, from the most
sensitive and finely adjusted wireless
telegraph OUTFIT 70 the Crudest and
most hastily improyised method OF
wigwagging
IL they have no wires they can use
either the wireless telegraph or the
whistle at night. or If neither of these
is available, they can fall back on the
flashing Of a light or Of - wigwag-
ging of a beam from a searchlight
During the light Of day they have the
means to talk with each other by flags
and even by their arms and hands.
The most important part Of 1t all Is
that each member must become 30 ex-
pert In the use OF these various kinds
OF apparatus that he can act quickly
and effectively at all times And he
is trained to use his wits in an emer-
goncy For instance, during the Span
ish-American war. while a signal corps
party was reconnotering a telegraph
line In Porto Rico and keeping Gen
eral Miles I'm communication during
his advance. they came TO point
where the Spanish troops had cut and
carried away nearly a mile OF wire
With the exception OF a few scraps
their supply had become exhausted,
and they could not keep pace with the
aIyauce unless immediate materials
We're at hand. Finally. one OF the mem
bers OF the party discovered a barbed
wire fence running in the same direc-
tion Then they connected one end
of the line TO the top wire, ripped of
the second and third wires. and used
them TO bridge the remainder Of the
span Thus, ror over half of the dis
tance they made the barbed wire fence
serve as telegraph line.
Duties Vary.
The present complement of Uncle
Sans signal corps numbers about
I. 900 men and l2j officers These are
divided into ten companies Of about
100 men and six officers each.
The duties OF these companies vary,
though they are primarily used in
maintaining COMMUNICATION TO full
ill this mission tlCy are divided
among the various army posts OF the
country Some Of them are scattered
among the wireless-tolegraph stations
in Alaska and along the cable and
telegraph line which the army main.
tains from Alaska 10 the states, and
there Is still another portion provided
with mounts and stationed at various
posts, ready 10 take the field at mo
ment's notice
The great efficiency for which the
signal corps has in late years De.
come noted is the result OF the great
change which came over The United
states army with the outbreak ~ the
Spanish-American war Prior 20 that
time the while signal corps numbered
hardly a battalion and about an of
their duties consisted Ia operating the
few telegr5~ lines which the army
owned, aud a few field experiments.
At the outbreak OF the war con.
gress provided for an increase i'm The
corps TO a full regiment There was
rapid enlistment because 81 was con.
HlderCd preferred job, and because
of the fact that the men selected
were either trained electricians OF
telegraphers.
Manner OF Signaling.
Those few weeks before the CORPS
took the field were strenuous ones FOL
the members Tn military feature OF
the training included bareback riding
foot and mounted drills, and drin,
with small arms. The greatest Tea
ture. however. was that which in
cluded all manner OF signaling. Ever,
member. i'm both the telegraph and tn,
electrical departments, was impresse,
with the necessity OF mastering TN,
codes. They were told that old bu
effective story OF how two OF Crook
men. back I'm the Indian campaig
days. planned their escape FROM a,
indian camp by signaling with thei
code In IN, winklHg oI their eyes