Evening star., 1927-11-11
RADIO AMATEURS
AID FLOOD RELIEF
Station Operators Send Out
Calls for Assistance
When Wires Fail.

To the increasing glory of the anna
| teur radio operators of the country is
being added a record of splendid achieve.
ment during the Now England flood
It parallels the record of the amateurs
in filling the breaches in communica
tions during the Mississippi disaster,
which a few months ago evoked
paeans of praise for these youthful
radio enthusiasts.
First word of the plight of Mont.
pelier. VT. when its communications
we're totally cut off by the surging
waters on November 5. came into Bos.
ton from the amateur stations at
Montpelier. 1-BBJ. operated by George
p. Wailstrom. and 1-BEB, operated by
Ralph J. Harris, both youngsters.
This was while Army troops from
Fort Ethan Allen. at Burlington. VT.
were hurrying with portable field set
to the scene under orders from the
Department of War.
While Mai. Gen. Preston Brown. in
command of the 1st Corps Area, which
embraces New England, was muster
ing New England's amateurs for the
esta ablishment of an emergency net
work, Maj. Gen. Charles Nick. Saltz.
man. chief of the Army Signal Corps.
-.
11CAB, the Armys amateur control
station" in Washington. to get into
direct communication with Montpelier.
1t was early in the evening of No.
vember that Briggs tuned in on
Montpelier directly, and from 1-BEB
obtained this message from the chair
man of the local Red Cross at Mont
pelier. J. p Gallagher:
"Monepelier, VT, absolutely isolated
from communication by truck or rail-
Impossible to telephone or telegraph.
Rush food and funds by airplane."
Briggs delivered the message to Ma
tional Red Cross headquarters, and
thereafter was constantly at his post
transmitting messages from the Secre-
tary Of War, the Red Cross and
others. At night he worked the so
meter channel, during the day 40
meters.
Aid, of course, was rushed to the
beleaguered city and its surrounding
territory. In the meantime the New
England amateur radio network was
also working away constantly with
official and unofficial messages. Until
telegraph wire went into Montpelier
civilians relied upon the amateur
tranSmitters there to send out word of
their condition. Even afterward. with
the wires crowded, the amateurs were
kept busy, and from all accounts they
are still carrying big share Of the
traffic.
The Briggs station in Washington
and those in Montpelier are among
the 1000 amateur stations in the coun-
try holding certificates from the War
Department as Army amateur sta
tions. Cooperating with the Ameri-
i1l. Re
headed by Percy Hiram Maxim, the
inventor, Gen. Saltzman several years
ago organized this network OF anna.
teur stations with particularly able
and qualified operators. The under
standing with these operators IL that
in case of war or other emergency
both station and operator are to be at
the disposal OF the Government.
The list Corps Area has about $50
Of these stations, and its network has
been developed more completely than
any other corps. due to the efforts of
Capt. Thomas G. Reeves, now in the
Philippines, and Capt. John p. Fer
ritter, at Boston, assisted by a reserve
Signal Corps officer, Lieut.. Davis B.
Boyden, who operates station ISL at
Boston.
Armistice day ceremonies and spe-
cial musical programs featuring ia
miliar war songs form a dominant
part OF the radio entertainment sched-
uled tonight by WRC and WMAL.
Aside from the ceremonies incident
to the dedication of the Canadian mon
ument to American soldiers in Airing.
ton Cemetery, which WRC In broad.
casting this afternoon, several of the
stations leading attractions tonight
are favored with the stirring songs
and music Of the World War. The
Cities Service Orchestra and Cavaliers
will present special dramatic musical
arrangement entitled Memories for
Armistice Day."
The Lord Calvert Ensemble, the
Whittall Anglo-Persia and Musical
Miniatures" are other WRC features,
but the programs of the latter two
are devoid of war music. The Anglo
Persians have a program replete with
the seductive dance melodies of the
Orient. while the Musical Miniptures"
will be dedicated to Holland, the land
Of dykes and wooden shoes.
Another talk by Santa Claus. dinner
concerts by the Waldorf Astoria and
Burlington Orchestras, and late dance
program by the Wardman Park Or.
chestra complete WRC's program.
WMAL Is featuring a special Arrni.
stice day program under the auspices
of the Veterans OF Foreign Wars.
which will be broadcast from the VIII
lard Hotel between 1915 and 1880