The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-09-27
LIFE SAVERS ARE
COAST GUARDS TOO
Service Becomes a Part Of
United States Navy.
RIFLE PRACTICE NECESSARY
Principal Duty In Case of Emergency
Would BE to Guard the Wireless Sta
tions-Liphthousss Serve as Signal
Towers, and Men Are Trained Sharp
shooters.

tions-Ltphthouses serve AZ o'9na'
Towers, and Men Are Trained Sharp
shooters.
The life saving service hitherto has
been q civil institution. IL Is now In
process of organization as a military
establishment. for use Ia case of war.
Every surfman Is TO have his krag
ride aud will be regularly enlisted In
stead OF being hired for the season. as
heretofore. Each life saving station
will be provided with one machine
gun. and the keeper will hold rank as
captain.
Rife practice, and plenty OF 1t. Will
be In peace time a part or the routine
business OF every station, In order hat
the men may become expert sharp
shooters. They win dfg trenches In
the sand of the beach and with ma
chine gun and Krags win defend the
shore line against attack by landing
parties OF an imaginary enemy.
Immediately upon he outbreak or
war the service now renamed the
coast guard) win automatically be
come an adjunct OF the navy, and as
such It viii have assigned to II the
important duty of protecting the naval
wireless plants strung all along u
coasts at intervals of 200 miles. The
first thing likely to be attempted by
an enemy Ii to capture and disable
these outfits for distributing intelli-
gcnce.
Each wireless plant will be In com
m~unication by telephone and telegraph
with all the life saving stations for a
distance OF hundreds Of miles. and. un-
der the system now being organized. an
! emergency will call out from
each station a seagoing power boat
carrying a machine gun and a dozen
or more armed men. Thus, within a
surprisingly short time. a formidable
body OF defenders win be assembled,
trained for the kind of fighting that Is
expected Of them. Hastily throwing
up Entertainments along the beach. the
best fortifcation In the world Is a bank
OF sand. They will be able to offer dan
gerous opposition to an invader.
Every lighthouse a Signal Station.
Every lighthouse from this time forth
n to be equipped as 3 signal station
and similarly provided with telephone
and telegraph. BY the same means OF
communication the life saving stations
will be connected together as in a con
ttnuous chain all along the coasts. Nc
hostile feet can approach within sight
of shore and escape the attention of the
surfmen and lighthouse keepers, who
In their ordinary business. are trained
to see everything that floats In range
OF human vision.
The lighthouses will serve admirabl,
as signal towers. Their equipment, al
well as that of the life saving stations
will include powerful telescopes an,
binoculars, wigwag flags. navy numera
fiags, pistols that shoot fire balls 0
different colors. and acetylene lamp
for signaling at night In time of wa
a special signal book will be furnishes
by the navy department. the interna
tonal code being Of no value. of course
where secrecy is desired.
At short intervals along the beach ar
telephone boxes. like those used by ps
ncemen In cities. The surfman out o
patrol Is never more than a mile or tw
from such a box. Suppose that In tim
Of war he catches sight OF a squadro
Of hostile warships. He runs to tn
nearest box and telephones to the sti
don. The station keeper telephone
or telegraphs to the naval wireless
plant. fifty miles away perhaps. Th
wireless outfit sends the news to th
great long distance wireless towers I
Arlington. across the Potomac frol
Washington. Arlington calls up til
navy department, which issues corr
spending orders by wireless to our ba
tle feet and to the coast forts.
Mtartims Regulations.
II caae of sudden and serious eme
w1cn1rrn n1onf WOW!