South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-06
SIGNAL MAN s
WORK FRAUGHT
WITH DANCER
dust Keep Lines of COmmuni-
cation Open Under Terrific
Fire, But at Times is Forced
to EvaCuate to Save His Life.
BY Philip Everett.

s. LONDON, Jan. From letter
ritten by an ofHver OF the British
gnal corps / learn some interesting
Is concerning the work of keeping
l Of the immense armies in COM
sunlcation throughout fighting and
ipid movements. Gen. Joffres head
laFteis and Gen. French S headquar-
rs are IN direct touch with all the
important towns in the north of
-ahce and also with London and
'arls. There are wires to all the
rmy corps headquarters and from
nese 70 the divisions and TO the bril-
AIDES. IT would undoubtedly be pos
Die 10 connect up the lines so that
man IN the house of commons here
ouid hear shrapnel bursting over ST.
IihieL
i The hottest work for the signal
orps is keeping a unit i'm touch with
headquarters while advancing or re-
eating rapidly. For this there are
NO cable detachmcnts, of two cable
agons each one section laws the
ne while the others remain behind
reel up when the line is done with.
How They Work.
Ny informant continues:
A division is orcered 90 move quick
~ 10 a more tactical position The
nd 0f the cable is connected with the
ornament line, which communicates
p army headquarters and the cable
detachment moves off at the trot:
cross country, along roads, through
illages. and past columns Of troops
he white and blue badge of the sig
/ al service clears the way Behind
/ ne wagon rides a horseman, who
eftly lays the cable in the bitches
! nd hedges out OF danger from heavy
transport. and the feet OF tramping
|nfantry with the aid Of croOkstick.
f)ther hOrsemen are in the rear tying
! back and making the line safe on
i he box OF the wagon sits a telegraph
Ist, who is constantly in touch with
headquarters as the cable runs swiftly
but An orderly dashes up with an
Important message. the wagon is
ftopped. the message dispatched and
IN they go again.
In Keeling up a cable mounted men
re sent in front of the wagon to clear
he line. The drums are then con-
hected to the wheels of the wagon by
means of a clutch. so that the cable
Is wound up mechanically, with man
- guide the running and another to /
Fegalate the speed of the drum with ]
| system OF brakes.
Work Under Fire.
A cable detachment is often called |
|ipon TO perform work under most
|ithcut conditions, 1t may have 70 /
lay a line quickly through heavily
Shelled towns such as happened at
i pres few weeks ago in the dark |
Iess OF night The maintenance of |
ouch a line is fraught with danger.
Biographies are often left on duty /
II the trenches and lonely farm |
iouses, chateau, etc, close to the |
bring line, and / leave il TO your inn |
gination TO picture how difficult ii is
H. concentrate ones mind on the sig I
Railing and reception of important !
messages. while the air is filled with |
he deafening roar of artillery and |
The screaming and bursting of shells. /
An experience of this kind hap
bened TO me a short time ago in a |
lonely chateau on the Veres- Menin /
|oad. The chateau was the center of /
perfect hell of German shrapnel |
FOR nearly a week, until it became
lmost untenable, and was abandoned
b. the headquarters staff. The gen ]
fral gave instructions that a teleg- !
|apher was TO remain behind 20 trans |
|nit important dispatches from the |
Irigades and / was left in charge of |
he instruments in this shell-swept /
hateau for "a day and night.
Caught Between Fires.
On the second day the Germans |
broke through our trenches, and the |
wires we're cut up by shell fire / /
|vas given orders 90 eVacuate the /
building and smash up my instru- !
|nents.
These I saved by burying in a she'll !
proof trench, and then had TO escape |
between our own fire and that OF the /
|nemys across a field under a terrible |
tornado OF shrapnel on the early |
morning Of the same day one of our |
liable attachments was cut up and !
mother captured by the Germans /
pnly 10 be retaken by our sappers and |
Drivers after "a desperate and glorious /
|ght
In the region OF the Aisne where /
he hilly and wooded nature OF the /
COUNTRY admitted OF much cover. spies /
bften took advantage OF this to tap
bur wires. The lines are constantly /
Datrolled by mounted linemen, whose |
huty is attended with much risk. on /
bne occasion a lineman. in passing /
hlOng his patrol, noticed that there /
WAS a quantity of slack cable lying in /
the side OF the road. DismOunting 10 !
Roll il up out Of the reach Of traffic \
be found TO his surprise that a piece 4
nf spare wire had been tied into the /
main line. and upon investigating dis
covered that it led 20 the top OF n |
haystack. the wire being cunningly /
hidden in the straw Going further /
down the line he tapped in and re- I
ported the matter 20 headquarters, /
Then mounting guard over the hay /
stack he awaited the arrival Of an /
armed escort: who discovered the spy. /
together with several days' supply of /
food hidden in the depth OF the hay.l
FRED A. HITE READER AT /