187:
65:(which develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of all the U.S. armed forces) connected military posts with each other and with the rest of the continental United States. This system of thousands of miles of suspended landlines and submarine cable included the first successful long-distance radio operation in the world. The telegraph was also the first major contribution to Alaskan infrastructure provided by the U.S. federal government, marking the beginning of the government's central role in the development of Alaska.
50:. By 1904, ACS comprised some 2,100 miles (3,400 km) of undersea cable, over 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of land lines, and a wireless segment across at least 107 miles (172 km). On May 15, 1936 WAMCATS was renamed the U.S. Army Alaska Communication System. The Alaska Communication System remained under the control of the Army Signal Corps until 1962 when it was taken over by the
128:
Between 1900 and 1905, Army soldiers of the 59th Signal
Battalion (also known as the "Voice of the Arctic") constructed a telegraph line linking the U.S. Army posts across Alaska with each other, including a 107-mile (172 km) wireless system crossing Norton Sound on the west coast of Alaska. In
360:
The "prefix" USASPB associated with the vessel is an error. The Army's designation of self propelled barges was Barge, Self
Propelled (BSP). Smaller vessels simply had the designation "U.S. Army" and a number without being named. Some vessels were named but also bore the usual Army identification.
113:
Wired telephone poles eventually were put in place in Alaska, however, they were not reliable. One of the problems was that the heavy snow and ice typical in Alaska would cause the telephone poles to fall over, breaking the connections. During the winter there might be six feet of frozen snow that
186:
96:
At the beginning of the 20th century, Alaska was a cold and inhospitable place where travel, let alone news, took a month or more to happen. In 1870, Alaska had just recently been sold to
America by the Russian Empire. In the U.S. that year, the
68:
At the start of the 20th century, when the United States was committing
American troops to military engagements around the world, the Signal Corps in Alaska worked to make sure military communications could flow. An important message, such as
105:
In 1900 the
Congress appropriated nearly a half a million dollars for the purpose of establishing a land and underwater communications system connecting the various military posts in Alaska with the rest of the United States.
101:
Signal Corps began to establish isolated forts (meteorological stations) throughout the
Western territories. These stations were usually not much more than cold, lonely huts manned by a single telegraph operator or soldier.
109:
The communications system was operated by signal soldiers assigned to the depot companies at the various forts around Alaska. WAMCATS soldiers reported directly to the Chief Signal
Officer of the United States Army.
566:
598:
603:
608:
623:
80:
The ACS also provided a vital lifeline – sometimes quite literally – to the many remote and almost inaccessible communities across Alaska: it enabled the icebound city of
618:
571:
613:
58:, radio telephone, 500 kHz ship-to-shore frequencies, collected communications intelligence, and other services for more than half a century in Alaska.
385:
144:
and 2nd Signal
Service Company at Fort Gibbon to operate WAMCATS in Alaska. The 2nd Signal Service Company was not formally inactivated until 1927.
114:
could topple poles. Laying cable underwater would solve part of that problem, and would also help the military with ship to shore communications.
77:, was received, automatically recorded as printed text and parallel punched holes on paper tape, and could then be relayed on to other stations.
445:
593:
473:"General MacArthur's Surrender Order To The Japanese", text by Janice Reynolds Cook, based on information provided by Charlie Burrow
62:
500:
446:""Connecting Alaska: The Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System" by David Eric Jessup, University of Washington"
19:
This article is about the historical cable and telegraph system. For the contemporary telecommunications company, see
403:
475:
330:
154:
From 1931 the Army Signal Corps did not own a cable ship and so the system deteriorated until the beginning of
42:), was a system of cables and telegraph lines authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1900 and constructed by the
151:
undertook the laying of a new submarine cable in 1924 between
Seattle and Alaska with a post at Ketchikan.
262:
85:
43:
362:
292:
20:
543:
137:, Washington was also laid, allowing rapid communication between Alaska and the lower continental U.S.
532:"History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications: U.S. Armed Forces Cables" by Bill Glover
430:
338:
322:
276:
162:
404:
Answers.com US Military
Dictionary "Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System" WAMCATS
449:
306:
121:
in 1899. Soon thereafter, underwater cable was first laid in Alaska in 1900, when the vessel CS
419:
70:
46:. The communications lines were to serve both military and civilian needs in the territory of
504:
479:
74:
141:
51:
171:
undertaking the work. The cable came ashore at around 40-mile (64 km) intervals.
117:
The first submarine telegraph cable laid by the United States Signal Corps was in the
587:
531:
130:
55:
497:
283:
195:
155:
84:
to alert the outside world about a diphtheria outbreak which led to the successful
81:
578:
161:
The first submarine telephone cables were laid in 1956 with the Army cable ships
118:
515:
125:
connected Unalakik to St. Michael and St. Michael to Safety Island, Cape Nome.
98:
472:
314:
134:
47:
185:
175:
572:
General Information regarding the Territory of Alaska 1912
140:
By 1918, the 1st Signal Service Company was activated at
368:
in which "U.S. Army" is followed by "B.S.P. 2008" with
174:
The ACS was transferred to the Air Force in July 1962.
36:
Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System
599:History of telecommunications in the United States
544:"Hot Super Bowl contest targeted for Alaska fans"
516:"The Alaska Communications System" by B. McCalley
431:Records of the office of the Chief Signal Officer
73:'s World War II demand for the surrender of the
440:
438:
16:Communications network in Alaska, 1900s-1960s
8:
604:Military communications of the United States
609:Military radio systems of the United States
498:US Army lineage of Signal Service in Alaska
468:
466:
420:59th Signal Battalion "Voice of the Arctic"
527:
525:
523:
178:purchased ACS for $ 31.5 million in 1970.
624:1900s establishments in the United States
493:
491:
489:
487:
415:
413:
411:
386:Mount Billy Mitchell (Chugach Mountains)
396:
353:
7:
619:Communications in Washington (state)
14:
614:World War II American electronics
129:1903 an underwater cable between
579:From the Tropics to the Arctic
1:
361:The use can be seen in this
28:Alaska Communication System
640:
567:Photos of WAMCATS stations
365:Col. William. A. Glassford
264:Col. William. A. Glassford
18:
553:. 1971-01-18. p. 55.
594:Communications in Alaska
372:underneath on the hull.
198:
86:1925 serum run to Nome
54:. The ACS handled the
44:U.S. Army Signal Corps
301:U.S. Navy cable ships
286:William H. G. Bullard
189:
182:U.S. Army cable ships
34:), also known as the
21:Alaska Communications
503:2008-06-21 at the
478:2008-10-05 at the
199:
341:Arthur M. Huddell
71:General MacArthur
63:Army Signal Corps
631:
555:
554:
548:
540:
534:
529:
518:
513:
507:
495:
482:
470:
461:
460:
458:
457:
448:. Archived from
442:
433:
428:
422:
417:
406:
401:
373:
358:
190:U.S. cable ship
639:
638:
634:
633:
632:
630:
629:
628:
584:
583:
563:
558:
546:
542:
541:
537:
530:
521:
514:
510:
505:Wayback Machine
496:
485:
480:Wayback Machine
471:
464:
455:
453:
444:
443:
436:
429:
425:
418:
409:
402:
398:
394:
382:
377:
376:
359:
355:
350:
303:
294:Ellery W. Niles
271:Basil O. Lenoir
184:
169:Basil O. Lenoir
94:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
637:
635:
627:
626:
621:
616:
611:
606:
601:
596:
586:
585:
582:
581:
575:
574:
569:
562:
561:External links
559:
557:
556:
535:
519:
508:
483:
462:
434:
423:
407:
395:
393:
390:
389:
388:
381:
378:
375:
374:
352:
351:
349:
346:
345:
344:
336:
328:
320:
312:
302:
299:
298:
297:
289:
281:
278:Albert J. Myer
273:
267:
260:
254:
248:
242:
236:
234:Cyrus W. Field
230:
224:
218:
212:
206:
183:
180:
164:Albert J. Myer
147:The vessel CS
142:Valdez, Alaska
93:
90:
52:U.S. Air Force
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
636:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
591:
589:
580:
577:
576:
573:
570:
568:
565:
564:
560:
552:
545:
539:
536:
533:
528:
526:
524:
520:
517:
512:
509:
506:
502:
499:
494:
492:
490:
488:
484:
481:
477:
474:
469:
467:
463:
452:on 2008-10-13
451:
447:
441:
439:
435:
432:
427:
424:
421:
416:
414:
412:
408:
405:
400:
397:
391:
387:
384:
383:
379:
371:
367:
366:
357:
354:
347:
343:
342:
337:
335:
334:
329:
327:
326:
321:
319:
318:
313:
311:
310:
305:
304:
300:
296:
295:
290:
288:
287:
282:
280:
279:
274:
272:
268:
266:
265:
261:
259:
255:
253:
249:
247:
243:
241:
237:
235:
231:
229:
225:
223:
219:
217:
213:
211:
207:
205:
201:
200:
197:
193:
188:
181:
179:
177:
172:
170:
166:
165:
159:
157:
152:
150:
145:
143:
138:
136:
132:
131:Sitka, Alaska
126:
124:
120:
115:
111:
107:
103:
100:
91:
89:
87:
83:
78:
76:
72:
66:
64:
59:
57:
56:radioteletype
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
22:
551:Broadcasting
550:
538:
511:
454:. Retrieved
450:the original
426:
399:
369:
364:
356:
340:
332:
324:
316:
308:
293:
285:
277:
270:
263:
257:
251:
246:Joseph Henry
245:
240:Samuel Mills
239:
233:
227:
221:
215:
209:
203:
196:Wright Sound
191:
173:
168:
163:
160:
156:World War II
153:
148:
146:
139:
127:
122:
116:
112:
108:
104:
95:
79:
67:
60:
39:
35:
31:
27:
25:
284:USACS
119:Philippines
588:Categories
456:2008-08-12
392:References
370:Glassford
363:photo of
348:Footnotes
323:USS
307:USS
258:Silverado
158:in 1941.
99:U.S. Army
501:Archived
476:Archived
380:See also
339:SS
333:Yamacraw
325:Portunus
252:Dellwood
222:Burnside
192:Burnside
149:Dellwood
75:Japanese
216:Romulus
204:Orizaba
135:Seattle
123:Orizaba
92:History
40:WAMCATS
309:Aeolus
228:Liscum
210:Hooker
48:Alaska
547:(PDF)
331:USS
317:Thor
315:USS
167:and
133:and
82:Nome
61:The
26:The
291:CS
275:CS
269:CS
256:CS
250:CS
244:CS
238:CS
232:CS
226:CS
220:CS
214:CS
208:CS
202:CS
194:in
176:RCA
32:ACS
590::
549:.
522:^
486:^
465:^
437:^
410:^
88:.
459:.
38:(
30:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
