American inventions and inventors . t the people might the more quickly and easily see the approach of Indians andsignal the news to other set-tlements by bonfires. A second method of sig-naling was by the use of thesemaphore. This was invent-ed by Claude Chappe andwas adopted by the FrenchGovernment in 1794. It con-sists of an upright post, whichsupports a horizontal bar orarm, which can be put atvarious angles. In order tocarry out this system of sig-naling, stations must pre-viously be agreed upon andsignal officers constantly onduty. If the intelligencewas to be conveyed to a considerable
American inventions and inventors . t the people might the more quickly and easily see the approach of Indians andsignal the news to other set-tlements by bonfires. A second method of sig-naling was by the use of thesemaphore. This was invent-ed by Claude Chappe andwas adopted by the FrenchGovernment in 1794. It con-sists of an upright post, whichsupports a horizontal bar orarm, which can be put atvarious angles. In order tocarry out this system of sig-naling, stations must pre-viously be agreed upon andsignal officers constantly onduty. If the intelligencewas to be conveyed to a considerable distance intermediatestations must be had. The second station received the signalfrom the first and transmitted it to the third, and so proved to be a very difficult operation and was neverextensively used, A third and successful form of signaling was by the mo-tion of flags. During our Civil War the army made muchuse of military signals. The system was devised by MajorMyer and was continued through the war, not only in the. SIGNALING BY BEACON FIRES. LETTERS—SIGNALING. 26/ army but on naval vessels. When the stations were lessthan five miles apart signaling was considered to be at veryshort range. Messages have been sent ten miles by meansof a pocket handkerchief attached to a twelve-foot the regular flags and staffs used by the signal corpsduring the war, signals were often read twenty-five milesaway, and it is said that single words have been read at adistance of forty miles. In the early spring of 1863 General Peck was in com-mand of the Union forces at Suffolk, Virginia. He had underhim about ten thousand men and had thoroughly fortified theplace by a connected system of forts, redoubts, and breast-works. His outmost signal station was placed on an elevatedplateau across the Nansemond River. This station was madeby sawing off the top of a tall pine tree and placing thereona small platform surrounded by a railing. The signal officerwould tie his horse at
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