Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-30

reply. The final signal by the staff
will be-"Message understood" All
this signalling will be by fire balls
from Very signal pistols. An episode
similar to this actually happened to
member of the Admirars staff dur
ing the st. Mihiel offensive, giving
our troops time to prepare for and
repulse very violent German at
tack, which. if successful. might
have caused the defeat of the Amer
lean Army in that battle.
Use Regulation Army Rockets
The rockets used in the fireworks
display which follows are the regu-
lation Army rockets used during the
war in France. They are furnished
for the occasion by the Army Re-
cruiting Station, 325 Market street.
The uses to which these rockets were
put were many and varied. For
instance, if the infantry were out of
ammunition they would shoot up
prearranged signal such as white
rocket followed by a red rocket and
back at the ammunition dump a de-
tail would start forward with a fresh
supply OF cartridges. Perhaps the
Germans started an attack, up
would go red caterpillar rocket
and down in front Of our infantry
would come an artillery barrage. BY
using combination of rockets al
most anything could be signalled
for. In addition to the rockets there
will be used Very pistol cartridge
signals. These shoot a white, red or
green star from a big brass pistol.
This star goes about three hundred
feet in the air whereas the rockets
go up from a thousand to twelve
hundred feet. The rockets each con-
tain small silk parachute to which
the fire balls are attached. That is
the reason the rocket balls fail so
slowly. These rockets are about four
times as powerful as the ordinary
sky rocket.
The so-called caterpillar rockets
are those with six or eight balls of
fire hung on a wire, which in turn is
suspended from a parachute. Before
each attack certain ombinations of
colors were agreed on as meaning
certain things.
Historical Pageant
At a signal from the Admirars
flagship at o'clock, an Indian war
rior and maiden will pass in their
canoe and the festival will begin
with the singing of the Kipona song.
There are seven scenes.
Scene lis old Peixtan where a
French trader and spy was arrested
by provincial officers and taken to
Philadelphia. This section was called
Peittan and until Harris came was
place of frequent skirmishes.
Scene Ills old Paxton Church,
second to be built in the county and
established not long after Harris
came. The settlers and Indians are
shown in one of the fights that oc-
Cured in the valley near Paxtang
and Swatara.
Scene III-shows the Harris trad
! ing house with the we'll from which
the settlers drew their water supply
when Indians were about
Scene IV-shows the interior of
the Harris home and a representa-
ton of an actual occurrence when a
young colored girl sent on an errand
by Mrs. Harris placed lighted can
die in a barrel of powder thinking
1t f'axseed. Mrs. Harris blew it out
and saved her family and home.
! Scene V-is the attemTAt of hostile
Indians to burn John Harris. who
was saved by friendly Indians
brought from +he Cumberland shore
| bv his sl""o Hercules.
! S"ene VT-shows attempt Of the
| indians to kill John Harris and Brit
| ish officers who visited him to dis
cuss plans 70 nrevent Indian raids.
Scene VII-Washington's visit to
Harrisburg on his way to quell the