SIGNAL CORPS SUMMER COURSES

A summer course for the training of men for enlistment in the U. S. Signal Corps, is being conducted by Prof. F. E. Austin, at the Thayer School. To acmodate those who are unable to attend the day classes, evening classes are being conducted.

These preparatory courses consist of a careful study of the theory of direct and alternating-current engineering, and of a certain amount of field work in the sending and receiving of signals.

An entirely new system of signaling has been devised and successfully tried out in practice, which consists of an arrangement of four electric lamps for night signaling and five semaphore arms for day signaling.

With the arrangement all the letters of the alphabet, as well as the numerals may be signalled by means of a properly arranged keyboard. Instead of a succession of dots and dashes, as in the present system, each letter or figure is signalled at one time in one operation; thus greatly reducing the time in sending messages.

The night signals, by a new arrangement of the lights, may easily be distinguished a distance of four or five miles by the naked eye, and over a much greater distance by aid of field glasses or telescopes.

The signals are all operated by electricity, each station being entirely independent of all the others, and each station apparatus being very light in weight, is portable, and can be installed for operation in fifteen seconds.

One of the text books used in the classes is the new book entitled "Examples in Battery Engineering," by Professor Austin.