2000 - Palomar Amateur Radio Club

Morse.s Invention and Its Predecessors
in the United States" by Lewis Coe
(1993).
The great western surveys of the
United States were resumed after the
Civil War beginning with Powell's expeditions
on the Colorado and Green
Rivers. The surveys were consolidated
in 1879 into the United States Geological
Survey ofwhich Powel was director
from fiscal year 1881 to 1894. Here is
a bit of history from that era which
hopefully you will find as interesting as
I did. 73, Ed, KF6DXX
The annual report ofthe secretary of
war for the year 1895 contains the chief
signal officer's report on the Glassford
expedition that established the world's
heliograph distance record. It reads as
follows: (edited slightly)
"On the morning of September 10
(1894), as prearranged, we were ready
and began with the sunrise to direct our
glasses and flash in the compass direction
ofMount Ellen (Utah), for not even
the Henry Mountains group, of which
Mount Ellen is one, was visible. No
answering flash was seen until about 1
o'clock in the afternoon, when we
caught the first glimmer of the Mount
Ellen flash, which appeared through the
telescope of a deep reddish hue and to
be about as bright as the planet Venus.
It was visible for only a short time,
however, though long enough to settle
definitely the position ofthat peak.
On the morning ofthe 11th the flash
from Mount Ellen was again seen for a
short time, and the Mount Uncompahgre
(Colorado) flash was also recognized
by the signalmen on the fonner.
The 12th, 13th, and 14th were stonny,
and the lower plateau intervening between
the peaks seemed covered with a
thick dust and haze which interposed a
veil too thick to penetrate.
On the morning ofthe 17th the horizon
was clear, the Ellen flash distinct,
and their messages read quite easily.
The repeated message ofthe day before
was sent by our party several times, and
then our glasses were trained on the
Mount Ellen station. I knew that ifthey
sent back the same message they had
read our signals. About 10 o'clock we
received the closing part ofthe message
and read it without difficulty. When
finished it was begun again and the
whole message was received this time.
thus we knew that our flash had transmitted
and the signalist's eye - 183 miles
distant - had caught the words sent by
the speaking sunbeam."
(To appreciate this accomplishment recall
that the participants did not have the
use of telegraph or any other means of
communication (no Ht's). If this piques
your interest in signaling and heliographs
it so happens there is a heliograph group
in PARC - the Hikers Net Group. We
haven't sent code yet or covered 183 miles
between two states but we have signaled
(2-way) up to 90 miles between Keller
Peak near Big Bear and Cuyamaca Peak
east ofSan Diego. 73, Ed)
March Meeting
The early Spanish explorers
searched California and Arizona for the
Seven Cities ofCibola. The cities were
supposed to have streets paved with
gold and unlimited riches. They
searched for these cities through the
16th, 17th and 18th centuries but they
never found them.
We members of the P ARC Hiking
Group have found the cities ofCibola in
rich valleys carpeted with golden flowers,
and beautiful sparkling streams in
the lofty mountains. We have hiked in
the footsteps of the early explorers and
have experienced the thrills of seeing
what is around the next comer or over
the next hill.
Come and join us for the March
meeting presented by our hiking group
and you will be inspired to join us on
some of our wonderful hikes.(73 's, de
KE6ZLY)
Old Times
(old ames)
Glenn Paden KE6ZLY@Juno.com
I first moved to the homestead back
in May of1932 about the 28th, I think it
was. I was about 10 days old at the
time. I do not remember too much about
things back then. Life was pretty simple
back in those days at the homestead.
It was during the depres- pg.7
sion and money was hard to come l~i~;
by. My father homesteaded the Feb.
property somewhere in the late
twenties.
It is a place called Oak Grove on the
east side of Palomar Mountain. The
homestead was located in the foothills
right below the U.S. Forestry High
Point look-out tower. The only public
utilities the area had were a few crank
phones and we were too far out for that.
According to a sign along the road
the population consisted of 7 nice people
and 3 grouches and the man that put
the sign up was one ofthe grouches.
One of the first developments, after
the house, was the spring in one ofthe
canyons about a half mile above the
house. The thing I remember most about
the spring was my father blasting rocks
out ofthe way to get to the water. As a
boy it was so exciting to hear the charge
go off and see all the rocks go sailing
through the air.
The first light in the house I remember
was a Coleman lantern hanging
from the ceiling which the tall people
bumped their heads on. We would move
the light from room to room as needed.
Then in about 1935 we got real
modem and wired the house for electric
lights. For the source ofpower we used
a 6 volt truck battery which we charged
with a 6 volt gas powered DC electric
generator. In 1937 we installed a Windmaster
wind charger which gave us all
the power we needed for lights and
radio.
We had a washing machine which
used water lUlder pressure to operate the
dasher. We also had a hydro-electric
plant which consisted of a Bosh magneto
with an automobile fan attached to
it. A stream of water was directed at
the fan to tum it and the magneto generated
power for our electric fence to keep
the animals in the right place. Once
while walking near the house I ran into
the electric fence with my nose. I saw
stars in the middle ofthe day!
For me, life on the homestead was a
lot of fun. To my oldest brother it was
hard work and living on pancake pota­