Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-20

lntltl> of communication lor a "tth nt'"'N'
him. and tie rest IF the world.
But the tasks that confronted our SiGll"' NV"
in these wars were play compared 10 the N"Ft
that is being done every day on the western t"'''
Our signal men there have al area 10 cover "''u'
the size of Pennsylvania aud they have @oi1F ~"
with Il vi.or and efficiency that spell volumes W
the superiority OF Americans ia this particular ''h'
Of work.
The hardy linemen who have strung hh.s ""a
repaired breaks On the Western plains OF p"''''"
with great foods and storms in the iochs ilo"'
tains have taken to this new work Win d "eS'
which Is inspiring. On the foundation OIL TIE
French system they are bul'oihs " Sls""' '''N"
that will be Il model of its kind.
I'm to within four miles of the front conStfhc'
iiou IN not different from what it is here at nome.
The wires are strung on poles ana most ~ II
poles have been planted by the French hot "he"
one gets inside the shcif"toln section 'ia. st'oN~"tS
at least four miles from the front wires nave 70
be protected by being buried from SIX to e'Slt Aeet
deep. so that only II direct hit by Il large shell "is'
disturb them.
Within half Il mile of the front not even tli'8
proreclion is sufficient, as the shells clurn ana re-
c,urn the ground. Therefore all wires IN lhis zone
are duplicated and are strung along bo'l' sides Oh
tho trenches. Sometimes a trench wall Is covcreo
with wires.
In III, battalion headquarters signal Office, where
tho hundreds of wires from the trenches and OBJ
servation posts center aud where inc receivers
hum with the constant treIlors OF Il "ofio unaer
fire. plain Ell Smith lounges in Il corner r"l'ihs Il
cigarette and occupied In his own particular
thoughts, 1t is a dugout, this headqnnrters. ana
the air is vile. but Bill got used to that long ago
.The wire to a battery is down. Smiths SUI
pcrior officer says, turning to him.
IAN right, sir is the answer. And Bill c'imps
II .I, .luv,rt ropoir kit over his arm ana TN
hat on his head.
In the trench he finds the wire that Is broken
and begins to follow 1t along. 1t Is hot work IN
tho trench. shells are dropping tliickly, but smith
doesn't mind-much. He follows the wire down
n communication trench and then after Il long t'lhe
out into the open, where he has to crawl along
looking for the hole that will mark the place where
: the line has been broken.
He gets nearly there when a shell LANDS near
him and Bill Smith, his face toward the break
uons west. After q tlme, back In the dugOut, an
other repairman Ia sent out ana perhaps ne ID
luckier. than Bill and finds the break.
T,hcn he Inns to sit down In the shell crater. the
s,rosh, ~ bursting shells 40 close that sometimes
he Is half buried In dirt, calmly making the con-
nect,on that will enable the observation otl'cer up
front to get in touch with his battery again. IT he
cots hnck TO the dugout he will be sent out again
and vet again II the bombardment Il heavy. nnd
often for days and nights at a time these men arc
under Are. s~natching n nap now aud then In the
dnCout between breaks. But they Keep the lines
open. u..
In an attack the signal men go over the TOP win
.ho infantry. generally with the second wave, In
ohnrye ~ the observing officer. They make for q
noint where they can establish an observation
nost, and ns they pass On and through the enemy''
bnrragc they unrcIl their line and one Of them car
r,es n feld telephone, through which they somehow
manage In the din Of battle to make themselves
heard.
THAT telephone Is like n battle flag and many
mun goes down with 1t. only to have It picked ~
and carried forward by another OF these honco'n
Sa..nt ,roons. Their business Is only to serve. no
:" Nyh+, md ,hcy do II with a cool daring which
ia not SURPASSED IN my branch Of the service.
They arc IN the forefront Of every advaace an
In the retreat IRE sometimes the last to leave To-