The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1922-03-14
Warned BY Phone
Telephone Transmitters Give
Alarm of Breaking Dam.
Disaster May Be Averteh by Spoken
Word That Travels Faster
Than the Flood.

Terrible disasters have been caused
by the irresistible swirl of rushing
Hoods. I'm which unSuspccting persons
were caught without warning. In one
instance. years ago, Il gay party ON Il
tour-horse tallyho was cnthuSiaSticul-
ly exploring the wonders and beauties
OF Turkey Creek canon. near Golden,
Colo, Gathering raincl"udS failed 10
cast shadow upon their high spirits,
ana no serious thought was given To
danger from the rapidly approaching
storm, because the tourists M"r" not
lainiiIar with the characteristics of
the local tempeStS, nor with the t"pog
raphy of the surrounding country.
The storm suddenly burst with great
tury upon tn" Mprrparrd pleasure
seekers and the dcluge of water
caused them quickly /" abandon the
tnllyh" and hunt for shelter. CLOSELY
huddlcl against the towering sides of
the canon. they soon realized. with
anxiety. that they had not rcckuIed
with the forces of nature. The ter
rific rush of water down the canon
sides swept them from their feet. and
down to the bed of the canon. where Il
torrent of water now ragged. Despite
their struggles. many of the party lost
their lives, and those surviving were
seriously injured.
Another instance was the great
flood at Johnstown. Pa. and the more
recent was the disastrous flood at
Pueblo Colo. where the toll of lives.
and property damage reached enor-
nous proportions.
As protection agains, such ter
rible events as these. system OF
huge telephone transmitters and am
pliiicrS has been produced which will
throw the human voice a distance OF
four miles. Extensive tests have been
made with this apparatus. which have
proved the practicabilIty and success
or the cndeuvor. These tests were
conducted in the CatSkill mountains
ny Specially trained group of OPP
orators. A tower. thirty feet high was
erected to hold the gigantic amplitiers
and III" Immense projectors which
measured fifteen feet I'm length and
four feet in height.
To determine Just how far the hu-
man voice could he heard with these
aids. was accomplished in rather
weird manner, because the time Sc
ected was at night. Four men took up
previously agreed-upon stations. at
distances Of one. two. three. and four
miles from the tower. AZ the time
drew near for the experiments the
four men applied matches to specially
prepared torches. which gave lurge
flaring flames.
Meanwhile at the tower were gath
cred party OF men chosen to observe
the tests, and who in;ereStedly
watched the tiny fiIcke-!Hg :arches IN
the distance. When the zero hour"
ar time set for tests, arrived. the oper-
ator at the tower took his place be-
fore the transmitter of the apparatus
and In n natural tone Of voice. ordered
the far-off men to wave their torches
Rreathlessly the watchers at the
tower peered through the inky black
ness at the fiickering points of fire,
and the nearest torch was seen to de-
scribe vigorous circles in the air. Ex-
clamations of satisfaction came from
the watchers, which rose To shout,
as the second. then the third, and
finally the fourth torch was seen to
dip and wave wildly in the darkness.
thus showing plainly that all the men
had heard the command. The operator
ut the transmitter then spoke 1" the
men again. In reply to their ready
signals, and bade them wait for fur
ther instructiOns.-H. A. Lane In Pop
ular Mechanics Magazine.