Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/191

* SIGNAL COKPS. Iu3 SIGNALING AND TELEGRAPHING. geants, 150 corporals, 250 first-class privates, 150 second-class privates, and 10 cooks. DiTiES. The cliief signal olRcer is charged, under the Secretary of War, with tlie direction of the Signal Bureau; with the control of the offi- cers, enlisted nion, and employees attached there- to; with the construction, repair, and operation of military telegraph lines and cables, field tele- grapli lines, balloon trains, and electrical com- nuuiication for fire-control purposes; with the pre]iaration, distribution, and revision of the War Department telegraphic code; with the su- pervision of such instruction in military signaling and telegraphv as may be prescribed in orders from the Var Department ; with the procure- ment, preservation, and distribution of the neces- sar.v supplies for the Signal Corps and for the lake and seacoast defenses. He has charge of all military signal duties, and of books, papers, and devices connected therewith, including tele- graph and telephone apparatus and the necessary meteorological instruments for target ranges and other military uses; of collecting and transmit- ting information for the army b.v telegram or otherwise, and all other duties pertaining to military signaling. The Signal Department furnishes all military posts and seacoast defense stations with such instruments and materials as maj' be necessary for the electrical installation of range-finders and the fire-control system for the purpose of intercommunication. This includes telephonic and telegraphic instruments, electrical clocks, megaphones, field glasses, telescopes, and neces- sary meteorological instruments, i.e. barometers, thermometers, anemometers, etc. Also, all such cable and land lines as may be required to con- nect contiguous military posts, or for connecting the posts with the conmiercial telegraph system. U^;iFORM. Dress coat, dark blue, facings orange piped with white, pipings white. Chev- rons, first-class serriea>it : Three bars and an arc of one bar of orange piped with wliite inclosing a device of flags, red and white, and a burning torch in yellow. Trousers : Light blue, orange stripe piped with white I14 inches wide. Cap in- sifinia, non-commissioned officers: Two crossed signal flags and a burning torch of white metal inclosed in a wreath of gilt metal. The wreath is omitted on the private's cap. See Uniform.?, Military; Signaling and Telegraphing, Mili- tary. SIGNALING AND TELEGRAPHING, Military. The term military signaling usualh' refers to the art of transmitting intelligence by visual signals, while telegraphing applies to the communication of messages by the electric cur- rent, and in its application to military operations is considered here. From the beginning of human existence signals such as signs, sounds, gestures, and other indica- tions were used by the individuals of tribes or communities to communicate with each other. Sounds came first. These were followed by pictures of natural objects, the hieroglyphics of the ancients, and the other picture writings of savage peoples. The accompanying ilhistration is a picture dispatch sent by Xorth American Indians to the French during the war with Eng- land in Canada. Translated it means that "they (the warriors) departed from ilontreal" (repre- sented by a bird just taking wing from the top of a mountain). The moon and the buck show the time to have been on the first quarter of the buck-mooDj answering to July. k ? fr miti X ./ M"'",im ,.». "^A fc Fig. 1. PICTURE WKITIXtt OF INDIANS. Aliile oral language was being developed, a means of communication be.yond the limits of the voice was also undertaken by pantomimic signs; with the hands and body for short distances, by signal fires, smoke, a prearranged display of shields, spears, flags, clothing, and the like for longer distances. At an early date the necessity for a s.vstematic code of military signals became apparent, and it is surprising to note the perfec- tion attained by the ancients in the development of the theory and use of signals in time of war. The first record of a signal corps is given in the writings of Polybius about B.C. 260. The invention of the system then used is ascribed to Cleoxenes or Democritus, but the development of their ideas into a system was due to Polybius. As the principles of his plan underlie the mod- ern sj-stems of visual and telegraphic signals, the apparatus and method of using are given in some detail below. In the words of Polybius his system is described as follows: "Take thg alphabet and divide it into five parts with five letters in each. In the last part, indeed, a letter will be wanting, but this is of no importance. Then let those who are to give and receive the signals write upon five tablets the five portions of the letters in their proper order and concert together the following plan: That he, on one side, who is to make the signal, shall first raise two lighted torches and hold them erect until they are answered bv torches from the other side. This only serves to show that they are on both sides ready and prepared. That afterwards he again who gives the signal shall raise first some torches upon the left hand, in order to make known to those upon the other side which of the tablets is to be inspected — if the first, for example, a single torch ; if the sec- ond, two ; and so of the rest. That then he shall raise other torches also upon the right, to mark in the same manner to those who receive the signal, which of the letters upon the tablet is to be observed and written. When they have Fig. 2, SIGNAL SYSTEM OP POLYBnTS. thus regulated their plan and taken their re- spective posts it will be necessary, first, to have a dioptical instrument formed with two holes or tubes — one for discovering the right, and the other the left hand of the person who is to raise the torches on the opposite side. The tablets must be placed erect and in their proper order