The Washington times., 1912-08-09
SIGNAL CORPS TO !.
BEGIN S|xTY-M|LE
HIKE ON SUNDAY
First Battery, Field Artillery,
Will Have Getaway" at
Same Time.

With the break of dawn on Sunday,
there will be a stirring military scene
enacted in the vicinity of 473 Missouri
avenue. The occasion will be the get
away" of the Signal Corps company
and the First Battery. Field Artillery,
OF the District National Guard, for
their sixty-mile hike" over the road
to Bolivar Heights, w. Va.
Everything Is In readiness The bat
terymen have their field guns in excel
lent order and with the coming of the
hundreds of horses to the Missouri ave.
nue. armory at 8 a. m, the guns will be
run into the street, the animals har-
messed. while the Signal Corps men
harness their animals and make ready.
Will Soon Be Under Way.
All this will be accompanied by the
stamping of horses, the rumble of field
pieces over the pavement, the champins
OF bits and the rattle of accoutrements.
NOW and then this din wilDbe pierced
oy a sharp command and inside of two
hours time the two commands Will be
moving for their first days march.
SUNDAY and Monday nights will be
spent In camps along the road, the men
sleeping In their picturesque little
DOG tents. According to the sched-
ule both commands will arrive at the
camp on Cavaliers farm shortly after
noon Tuesday.
The Signal Corps Company is COM
manded ry Capt. oliver c. Terry. The
battery is under the command Of Can't
]. Harry Shannon. Major Boyd Tay-
lor, paymaster Of the District Guard,
will accompany the First Battery over
the road. Captain Clarke. the assist
ant paymaster, will go with the Signal
Corps.
Captain Terry Is Ill.
1t Is doubtful If Captain Terry will be
able to go with his command. He has
oeen tl' for the past month and should
ne attempt the arduous trip 1t will be
against his physician's orders. He
VIII be unable to use his mount, should
he go, and will be forced 70 ride in a
Carriage.
The "Doughboys," as the infantry
men are called, will move for Camo
Ordway. as this years camp has been
named, on Wednesday, August IA. This
contingent will consist of the FIRST and
second Regiments. the First Separate
Battalion, the Districts troops crack
negro outfit and the ambulance Corps.
Will Get Busy Early.
The various commands will assemble
at their armories at an early hour and
the last sections will pull out at $50
a. m. Brigade headquarters. the AM
bulance Corps and a small dismounted
section of the Signal Corps will COM
prise one section.
Clever work Is being done by the Sig
nal Corps of the District National
Guard on Sundays and holidays ont.the
Mall, opposite the Missouri avenue arm
ory. While the work of the company
keeps Its energies principally directing
to wireless. buzzer, heliographing, flag
signaling, and other means of COM
munlcation used In warfare, 1t has
chance at other sides of militia work.
One OF the feats performed by this
company, which Is under the command
OF Capt 0. c. Terry, during its prac-
tice on the Mall Is the rapid erection of
a sioley. or "conical," tent. which
houses from six to eight men in the
held
Have Method of Own.
The regulation" method of erecting
this class of tent is not followed by
the Signal Corps men. This is the re-
suit OF the company's close association
with the engineers from the Washing
ton Barracks two years ago at the
Joint camp at Gettysburg. The engi-
heeIS Can erect Il conlcal tent In two
minutes from the time the bundle of
tentsse and poles are dumped on the
ground. '-'
A sergeant and eight men are used
The point for the center OF the door
nap is marked and the tent spread
with the flap toward this point. The
men grasp the edge of the tent. and
is ballooned VIII
AS 1t gracefully settles down. the
men straighten out the ropes at right
angles to the seams of the tent. Pegs
are placed one foot from the end Of
sledge, drive the pins in.
Trio Dives Under Tent.
Then three men. with the iron tripod
and the center pole, which it supports.
dive under the tent, and at the word
ready the tent is sent upright, and
the eight men haul evenly on the
ropes and attach them to the pegs
The tent is then ready for occupancy
The Signal Corps men can put up a
Sibley In three minutes, which is a
good record compared to the two min
utes taken by the engineers of the
regular army.
The Signal Corps Company have
their weekly drills at 473 Missouri ave
nue., where their armory Is located Az
the company is mounted many recruits
are reporting each Tuesday night for
enlistment.