Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-25
TELEPHONE WIRE PLAYS
IMPORTANT PART IN WAR
Only Trained Linesman Can See Sys.
tenn and Order in Network OF
Communications.
COMPLETE OUTFITS IN ARMY
Scarcely Skirmisll, Battle or Artillery
Attack in Which, Lines DO Not Par
ticipate. First In Cooperation
With Aeroplanes, Then Without.

Correspondence Of Associated Prcssl
PARIS. June l6.-Thc role played by
telephone wire In the war-to saw
nothing of the barbed variety that pro-
tects nearly 3.oOO-mile battle 'front.'
Is prodigious. 1t bccopes apparent
miles behind the lines strung along all
the routes leading to commanding
posts, through fields and forests, on
trees. poles. fencc-posts. roofs. towers
%ihd-miils. straw tacks. forming a net
work OF communications In which only
the trained lineman can see system and
order. With aircraft, the telephone
wire has largely replaced rcconnoiter-
Ing parties and vedettes. There is
scarcely a skirmish. battle or artillery
attack in which the wire doesn't par
ucipate. sometimes in cooperation
with aeroplanes sometimes without.
Every corps of the French army
has certain number OF motor-car
telephone shops. each equipped with
two complete telephone installations
with four miles OF wire and an nde-
ouate number of ground stakes and
forkcd pickets that may be stuck In
as temporary pole. Each of these
outfits has also it's wireless equipment
with antennaes to reach height of
sixty feet and a dynamo connected
with the motor OF the car to furnish,
the current 1t requires only few
minutes from arrival OF the car to set
up tho wireless outfit and put 1t in
operation. The enemy's artillery is
constantly on the watch for these
motoring wiremen, and occasionally
gets them.
Their work enables observers to
utilize captive balloons and every point
or vant"Cc-trees housetops, towers
windmills. straw stacks or extension
posts raised by windlass fftv feet In
the air. and telephone Information to
othcern or To batteries posted miles he.
hind. Perhaps the most effective work
OF all is done by the wireless outfits
that enable airmcn to send back rre-
else information AS TO the location OF
the enemy's batteries or concentrations
Of troops.
WIRE AND TELEPHONES
FIRST OBJECT OF SEARCH
The wire and the telephone are the
frs; objects Of search when the enemy
occupies town 4 building At
Compeigne. on their march south, after
Eharlcroi. the frst care OF tho Gcrmnns
was 20 cut all the wires and destroy
all the telephones and telegraph in
struments.
The Germans are said TO have wired
the entire quarry region between the
aisne and the Oise through their secret
agents before the war. AT any rate
wherever the French have advanced
in that region they say they have
found evidences OF long preparation for
wire communication between firm
buildings. cottages, mills, etc. occupied
by spies and the German batteries
The story - told of an infantry
picket arriving at an isolated farm
mouse In that region and finding an old
woman seemingly alone. They asked
for water and food. She swore she had
roth!ng and insisted that it was useless
to search. Reluctantly She preceded
the soldiers TO the cellar. where there
Was nothing but A few hogsheads
standing on end One of them. bigger
and higher than the rest. aroused the
curiosity OF the sergeant in charge of
the party. In approaching he had the
forethourht 10 level his revolver at
The top and thus get the drop on a
nan inside with revolver in one hand
and telephone in the other All the
other hogsheads contained batteries.
The Gazette de Ia Bourse Of Petro-
grad tells story OF telcphonist who
was the only Russian living when a
post was captured by the Germans.
Huddling in his hole. protected by
sand-bags, he telephoned 10 the artli-
would get the Germans. The battery
changed Its aim accordingly and the
teiephonist transmitted the result of
the fire as coolly as II he were not the
target. Shells rained upon the place
and the Germans were repulsed leay-
ing their dead. When the Russians
reoccupied the position they found the
telephonist still unframed in his hole.
Projectors and aircraft ordered from
Ypres by wireless played n great role
In the first battle of Ypres. The air
men were able to ascertain just what
troops the Germans were bringing up.
while the projectors arrived jus, in
time to discover the Prussian Guards
attempting surprise attack, and to
enable the British to cut them up.
Errors in the transmission of orders
and information by wire sometimes
occur. and they are generally serious.
a mistake in the translation OF a wire
less message is reported on one occa-
sion to have caused the Uhlans to re-
tire from Cassel to Armentieres, los
ing them their position, which the
French occupied