SIR: I have the honor to make the following report on the Signal Corps of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894: MILITARY TELEGRAPH LINES. The permanent military telegraph lines operated by the Signal Corps, aggregating nearly a thousand miles in length, remained under chargé of Capt. Charles E. Kilbourne, Signal Corps, until his promotion to major in the pay department, when these duties devolved upon Capt. Robert Craig, Signal Corps, whose tabular statement as to business transactions of these lines is hereto annexed (A). The lines have been maintained in an unprecedented state of efficiency during the past year, owing very largely to the intelligent and unremitting energy of Capt. Richard E. Thompson, Signal Corps; Capt. William A. Glassford, Signal Corps; First Lieut. Frank Greene, Signal Corps, and First Lieut. Frederick R. Day, Twentieth Infantry, acting signal officer. The latter officer was relieved from duty during January, 1894. The military importance of these lines is very great, as they enable the commanding generals of the different departments to keep themselves promptly informed of the conditions and prospective disturbances on the great Indian reservations, and in connection with the Mexican frontier, while it is evident that these lines are indispensable for economical military operations in connection with Indian outbreaks and frontier troubles. The past year has also shown their value as a factor in moving instantly such portions of the Army as were needed as coadjutors to the civil arm of the Government. During the year the military line from Fort Brown to Fort Ringgold, Tex., was extended to Fort McIntosh, such extension being considered by the commanding general, Department of Texas, as absolutely indispensable, owing to the unsettled condition of affairs along the Rio Grande, where complications of an international character appeared possible. This extension was completed November 15, 1893, but, owing to material differences of opinion between the inspecting officer and the contractor as to the character of the work, was not fully accepted by the United States until December 20, 1893. It follows the so-called "river road," except a few deviations therefrom to shorten the distance and save material. These deviations have proved of doubtful utility, owing to the extremely rapid growth of interfering underbrush. A tendency to injure the line by pistol practice on the insulators and lariat practice on the poles has abated somewhat, through the judicious influence of the more intelligent citizens. It may be added that the completion of this line insures communication with every important point between Laredo and Brownsville. Pending the action of Congress, which latter resulted in the appropriation of $17,000 for the construction of the desired line, the absolute military necessity compelled the chief signal officer to erect a temporary line of 70 miles in length in order to meet the emergent condition, thus tiding over the season of military operation. The line was operated for months with marked success, yet, as was pointed out by the Chief Signal Officer, such an expedient proved very costly. Not only was the Government put to the expense of collecting under difficulties and concentrating on the Rio Grande all available telegraph material of the Army, from Washington to Arizona and California, but, owing to the long period which elapsed before the appropriation was available for the permanent line, it resulted in the almost total destruction of the material of which the flying line was constructed, due partly to its use and under conditions for which it was not contemplated, and also to the lawless actions of unknown persons who interfered from time to time with the operations of this line. In the material and transportation the total expense of this 70 miles of flying line was not less than $2,500. The conditions under which the Army of the United States is maintained necessarily render emergencies of this kind expensive, as the policy of the Government restricts appropriations and expenditures to such military objects as are indispensable and necessary at the moment. While the permanent telegraph lines under the control of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army were primarily constructed for military purposes, yet they secondarily subserve commercial interests. The extremely low tariff charges for commercial telegrams range from 10 to 25 cents for 10 words, so that the revenue is necessarily limited; nevertheless the extended volume of such business insures a considerable income. There have been turned in to the U. S. Treasury during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, telegraph tolls amounting to $1,534.54, while for the same period the additional sum of $4,260.02 was collected for tolls on account of commercial telegraph companies and turned over to the proper officials. The total number of messages transmitted over Government wires, consisting of Government, State, and other official business, has been tabulated on lines under the supervision of the chief signal officer, and aggregate 27,349, with a tariff value of $3,893.49. The same proportion for other lines under post commanders makes the aggregate tariff value of the 61,994 messages sent and received between $15,000 and $16,000. FLYING TELEGRAPH LINES. All late wars, and especially the one now waging between Japan and China, indicate that electrical connections are indispensable to the success of any army operating on a base apart from the general telegraphic system. Appreciating this fact, the work of the Signal Corps for the past few years has been given to experimental work in the equipment of its fly |