The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-09-13
GIVE WELCOME IN
OLD CODE OF 81.
President Wilson WIN wIa-Was His
Greeting TO Old Soldiers at WASH
lngton In Code Of the
Civil War.
STATIONS ESTABLISHED
Signal Corps Which Will Handle the
Flags Has Been Assigned 70 sta
lions Around Washlnston-Plen-
~ TO Interest Veterans

The interest In Keokuk and vicinity,
and In fact, the whole state Of Iowa,
lin the big national encampment Of
the Grand Army OF the Republic Is
growing handsomely. Those who are
taking an active part in boosting the
Iencampment find that the attendance
and the participation by Iowa soldiers
in the grand review Is going to be
much larger than was deemed possible
in the first place.
The committee at washington sends
the following interesting particulars:
On the opening day OF the forthcom-
Ing Grand Army encampment in
Washington, President Wilson will
wig wag" message Of greeting and
good will to the veterans visiting the
national capital. Mr.. Wilson will not
personally manipulate the flags for he
does not understand the old Myer code
which was In use by the union army
will be translated into the sign lam
guage and sent from station to station
about Washington by survivors Of the
signal corps OF fifty years ago.
Arrangement for the signalling fea-
lures Of the encampment were an
nounced today by Lieut.. George Carr
Round. the president OF the U. s. vet
Grams signal corps association. who
has called upon all members OF the or
sanitation VINO are able to do SO to re
present, in Washington during encamp-
ment week. The main station Of the
signal corps boys of 'C1165 Will be
upon the heights OF Georgetown in the
extreme western section OF Washing
ton and upon the very spot where the
government had its signal camps OF
instruction during the war. Mt. Tabor
Methodist church stands there now
and It will be used as the headquas
tiers Of the corps. From that point
welcomes viii, be wig wagged' nv
such signal corps officers as General
Fisher, General Greeley, General
s:criven and Colonel Albert ]. Myers.
Jr. These offc understanding the
code will doubtless take the flags in
their own hands and do their own sig
Mailing, flashing messages Of peara
and good viii to the American peo-
pie. At various points about Washing
ton such as Fort Stevens. Fort De
Russy, the Soldiers Home, Fort Rich
ardson, and Fairfax seminary which
were used as signalling points IN war
time. stations viii be established dur
ing the encampment and messages
WI be translated In the old way - In
the DAYS before the invention Of the
field telephone and the wireless. In
stead Of being war orders they Will BE-
what President Round Of the signal
corps association calls Jubilee mes
sages." The scheme was tried vita
much success during the encampmenf
at Chattanooga and Gettysburg, and
will be worked out upon q much more
elaborate basis for encampment week
IN Washington. Another feature Will
be the transmission Of orders by the
old "wig wag" method during the time
the veterans are passing In parade IN
OF the fiftieth ami
versary OF the grand review. Signal
men will be stationed In the dome OF
the capitol and on top Of the treasury
at the west end Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and from time to time as the old
veterans are passing in review, mes
sages will be sent.
President Round has been obliged
to scour the country for set OF OLD
time copper torches which will be used
In wig wagging'' welcomes to the
Grand Army on the night OF the big
reception. The station used on that
occasion will be the dome OF the cap
ftol. AS none OF these old torches
has been preserved by the signal
ONCE OF the army, 1t Is probable that
the set provided will finally be pro-
scented to the national museum as
relics.