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.

" 80 ~h"
Towers, and Men Are Trained Sharp
shooters.
The life saving service hitherto has
beer a civil institution. IL Is now In
process of organization as a military
establishment. for use In case OF war
Every surfman IL to have his hrag
rifle and 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.
Rifle practice. and plenty of 1t, Will
be In peace time a part of the routine
business OF every station. In order that
the men may become expert sharp
shooters. They will dfg renches 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 the outbreak OF
war the service (now renamed the
coast guard) win automatically be
come an adjunct OF the navy. and as
such Il will have assigned to II the
important duty of protecting the naval
wireless plants strung all along
coasts at intervals of 200 miles. The
frst thing likely to be attempted by
an enemy IL to capture and disable
these outfits for distributing intelli-
gcnce.
Each wireless plant viii be In com
munication 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 moro armed men. Thus, within a
! Surprisingly short time, a formidable
body Of defenders will be assembled,
trained for the kind Of lighting that Is
expected OF them. Hastily throwing
up Entertainments along the beach, the
best ~fortihcation 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
- to be equipped as a 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. No
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 admirably
as signal towers. Their equipment, as
well AZ that OF the life saving stations
will include powerful telescopes anc
binoculars, wigwag flags. navy numera
fags. pistols that shoot fire balls O
different colors. and acetylene lamps
for signaling at night In time of wa
a special signal book win be furnished
by the navy department, the interna
uonal code being Of no value. of course
where secrecy is desired.
At short intervals along the beach ar
telephone boxes. like those used by 20
hcemen In cities. The surfman out OF
patrol il never more than a mile or tw
from such a box. Suppose that In tim
Of war he catches sight of a squadroI
Of hostile warships. lie runs to tn
nearest box and telephones to the sta
tion. The station keeper telephone
or ~telegraphs 70 the naval wireless
plant. fifty miles away perhaps. TIL
wireless outfit sends the news to th
great long distance wireless towers Q
Arlington. across the Potomac froi
Washington Arlington calls up tn
navy department, which issues corr,
spending orders by wireless to our ba
tie aeet and to the coast forts.
sMtartime R~sonlations.
II case Or sudden and serious emel