Signal towers

[Mike Serpa]

It happened AndyHall. Pics and video are at the link.
https://www.facebook.com/Annual-Civil-War-School-of-the-EngineerPioneer-507864462730656/

Go, engineers!

 

[USS ALASKA]

Wonder how many of the guys who built these had experience with constructing oil wells in Pennsylvania before, during, and after the war.

Maybe - or probably - not just oil. 'Colonel' Edwin Laurentine Drake's oil derrick near Titusville, Pennsylvania was patterned after rigs that used this type of structure for drilling water and salt brine wells. The design came from Chinese bamboo rigs of similar form / fit / function. So oil drillers were using a technology that was already proven.

Source - 'The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power' by Daniel Yergin / 'Investing in Oil and Gas: The ABC's of DPPs' by Kathy Heshelow / 'Oil - A Beginner's Guide' by Vaclav Smil
1816

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[major bill]

This is from an earlier post about the use of a telescoping signal tower that could be raised and lowed. It was transported on a wagon and erected by using wires.

The Howland's First Grade Engineer Company of about 50 men used both a Drummond light and signal flags. The Drummond light was used to both signal and to observe. In the above post, the reason the observation tower was telescoping was so it could be lowered, packed on one wagon, moved to where needed, and quickly pulled back up. Drummond light were effective up to 10 miles. The Howland's Engineer Company was to be mounted.

"The company has four baggage wagons drawn by mules. Besides these there are two spring wagons, drawn by horses, one of which carries the apparatus, the other the cook's utensils, officers' baggage, and the men's knapsacks. The men are soon to be provided with horses."...

"The Drummond light with which the company is provided enables them with the aid of telescopes to distinguish objects in the night many miles distance."...

"The lamp throws out parallel rays of light and it is very brilliant. At the distance of five miles with the aid of a telescope, one can distinguish a man."...

"In case of an engagement, the company is to be stationed behind the troops on their horses and in sight of each other, and, by means of different colored lights and rockets, convey intelligence along the whole line of battle, so that they may know at one point whether they are advancing or retreating, or what they are doing at any other place in the line, almost on the instant of its occurring."

The engineers were also trained to use signal flags.

I summarized what the article had to say about the telescoping singal tower and it anyone is particularly I probably can find the copy of the article and post it.

 

[Jamieva]

I wonder if the Point of Rocks one was used more to observe Petersburg works, or Beaurgegard and Butler around Chester and Bermuda Hundred. Point of Rocks to Petersburg is probably a good 5 to 8 mile distance as the crow flies.

 

[Robert Gray]

Confederate signal tower near Charleston. (Photographic History of the Civil War, Volume 8 page 319.)

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Demorest's never referred to the war although it popped up - signal tower as a setting for a ' fashion shoot '. No comment.