Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-27
SIGNAL CORPS MEN ARRIWNC
First Contingent Expected to Be
Completed by Noon To-day.
Lieutenant Wesscn Enlists Local Men
for Training Here-Rcgulnr Pro-
gram Begins Next Week-Plans
for Radio Work.

SCusho u 0kuoOut NOiCC6 II6ll
IL filling up with young men,. and
the dishes at Commons hall. the re-
nowned eating house Of the university.
rafting a welcome to the newcomers
who throng hungrily into the long
hall and gather about the tables. The
boys OF the signal corps division,
which Is to train this coming year at
the university arc arriving. Every
train brings a few more Of them. At
the first meal served to them ms an
organization, 40 sat down Tuesday
noon at Commons. At supper
there were nearly IS present and
more arrived during the early evening.
Lieut.. Z. J. Wessen. who Is In charge
of this department. told n representa-
tive of the Free Press last evening
men. who are scheduled to arrive in
the first contingent. would be here
before Z o'clock this morning.
Some OF the men are late in ar
irving. owing to the fact that there
was some misunderstanding in regard
TO the order which the men received.
This order read that they were to
proceed" to Burlington on the 25th
Of September. This could be taken
either that they were expected to ar
rive on that date, or were to leave
horne on that date. In the cases Of
those who live at q distance, his
might make quite a bit Of difference
in the time of their arrival. However,
they are coming in rapidly now and
are being accommodated at Converse
hall as fast as they arrive. Most Of
them seem to be much pleased with
their new quarters, too. for some a
been expecting to have to go into
tents for the time being. which had
not appealed to them especially at
this time Of year and in this country.
Many of the newcomers are college
men. coming from all parts of the
East.
Besides these men who are arriving
from a distance, Lieut.. Wessen is being
deluged with requests for enlistment in
this branch Of the service. Two men from
the city, Virgo F. Babcock. employed in
the Bradstreet office. and G. H.. Fulling-
ton, U. ". NJ, 10. appeared for
ton Tuesday and were accepted. Lieut..
Wessen has appointments with five men
for to-day, two from this city and three
from Rutland, who wish to enter the
signal service. Another man. whose home
Is in Johnson. communicated with the
lieutenant Tuesday. saying that he had
seen in the Free Press that recruiting for
/ the signal corps was being carried on at
the university.
lieut.. Wessen said Tuesday that he
had been watching the men closely rs
they arrived. and he believed hat he had
a fine lot of young fellows to deal with.
Thu lieutenant knows college men
thoroughly. having been an instructor in
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
before coming here. AS his assistant. he
has appointed Leland Cove. formerly an
electrical engineer with the Maiden
Electric company, Maiden, Mass. to be
first sergeant Of the corps.
1t will probably be some days before
the men will get their uniforms. as the
government is having difficulty in getting
, the cloth fast enough to supply the great
demand at the present time. All of the
equipment is coming along rapidly. how
ever. In fact, quite a bit Of the equipment
is already here and will be ready for
work as soon as the organization can be
effected. Two radio sets were expressed
recently from Washington and will un-
doubtedly be here within a few days. One
of these will be set up in the small
electrical lecture room in the Science hall,
with the antenna located in the shape
Of q triangle from three peaks on top of
the Science hall. The other set of radio
apparatus will be stationed at Converse
hall, with the antenna in the shape of an
other triangle or top Of the spires at that
place. or on trees in the nearby grove.
Two rooms In the Old Mill" have been
fitted out for laboratory work.
Another project which will be attempt
ed IL 1t can be satisfactorily arranged with
the authorities at Fort Ethan Allen, is to
rig up a signal station on the water tower
at the Post and another station On the
top of the rise of ground in the rear of
Converse hall. from which place the tower
at the Post is visible. This will give the
mon a splendid opportunity to work at
signaling. when they get somewhat &C.
customed to the process, for they will be
far enough away from each other so that
they cannot yell across when they cannot
get the signals.
1t Is not expected that any great amount
of work will be done this week. The men
will probably have most of the afternoon
to themselves until the organization can
be perfected and the equipment put in
readiness for work. In the meantime,
however. 1t will be the aim Of the instruc-
tors to get the men in shape for drill as
soon as possible and they will probably
be required to go through a certain
amount of drill each day beginning to-
day. The real work of the courses will
not begin. however. until Monday. Then
1t will be real humping" from 5:45 in
the morning until tbs at night.
During the remainder of this week, it is
the plan to have Professor w. II. Freed
man, who will be one of the principal in
structors in this work. give morning lee
lures from ten to 1880 O'Clock. Some in
tensive training in regular drill will be
given. For the purpose of convenience in
laboratory work, the men will be divided
into II squads. z
routine duties as they will be carried out
by the signal men when they get into &C.
ton In earnest: 5:45. arise; 6:30 to 7:15,
breakfast; 7:15 to 800, cleaning up quar-
ters; 500 to 1000. classes In laboratory
work; 1000 to 1890. free, surgeon will have
sick call at this time: 1880 to 11:30, classes
In laboratory: 1850 to 12:15. dinner; u: IL
to 100. free; 100 to 2:SO, drill with the
university battalion under Major Leon.
haeuser; 2:30 to $40. laboratory Glasses:
20 minutes free before five O'Clock, when
supper yin be served until 5:45: 500 to 7:l5.
study period. when every mar will be re-
quired to be In the barracks and no one
will be allowed to leave. After that hour.
until eleven o'clock. the men will be free
to go and come as they please, with the
understanding that they must be in at
eleven o'clock.
The above program will be carried
out six days In the week. On Sunday
the men will be free from 7:15 in thu
morning until II at night for thu
present at least. II they all progress,
we'll with the work and show promise
| M HintQhtnD ,n tkn ~n-.~l 49,