The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-06-19
A PRACTICAL MARINE TELEPHONE.
It's Use ~ England in Reaching the Light
sh ~-SuccessfD Experiments.
lRoston Herald

It's Use ~ England in Reaching the Light
sh --successfD. Experiments.
lBoston Herald
An experiment of the greatest iun-
! 9Ortance ~ enc commercial world ia
! now bein made on the east coast of
| England ~ the Telegraph Construction
| and Maintenance company. For the
| last eight months the company has had
several of its best operatives located
| in the neighhOrhoOd of the Maze. of
! which the most dangerous sands round
| England are to Ue found. These
| gentlemen ate hourly i'll communities
| zion by telephone with a lightship
| which is anchored ten miles out.
IN the vicinity Of the Swim passage An
ordinary telegraph cable has been laid
from Walton -the-NaZe to the Sunk
Eghtship, and telephone and Geographic
apparatus have been affixed to both
ends.
1t was considered improbable that the
human voice would be conducted ten
miles, especially in rough weather, but
this has been now proved to be thor
oughly practicable. A conversation
was carried on with Mr. Stevenson, one
Of the Telegraphic Maintenance COM
pany'S officials (WhO was on board tho
Sunk hghtship), by telephone for a con
siderable time. Mr.. Stevenson lad
been month upon the boat,
and had experienced all kinds of
weather, during which time he Lad
kept Mr.. Lewis ard Mr.. Pinkerton, his
colleagues on shore, fully informed of
the state of the weather, PoughnesS oS
the sea and passing craft adding fire.
quertly forecasts of weather which
usually turned out to be correct. A
month on the Gghtship is trying or.
deal, but Mr.. Stevens was so Satisfied
EIth the success that attended tLa ex-
pertinent, and knowing if the advan-
tage of telephone communication with
TightShipS was understood and generally
adopted, what a splendid boon it would
be TO mariners and merchants, that he
spent his time busilv in collecting in.
formation and watching the working Of
his electrical machines.
In back room of the Walton postoe-
fee are machines for Utilizing magnetic
currents Of all descriptions. A button
is touched, which rings a bell in Mr..
Stevenson's cabin upon the Sunk light.
ship, ten miles away, then a yoice-that
of Mr.. Stevenson-is heard inquiring
what is wanted. ''How is the Windlf
"How is the tide?' 'Have you seen
such and such a ship pass"' 'eHow
much water is there in the Swim pas
sage These questions can answered
ct once. Or the following is trans
1lltted: ''Signal such and such a ship
mat she is to put in at Harwich5'
tVeIy ship passing is duly signalled,
nd her name and description telephoned
20 the Walton postotfce. On an average,
ninety ships pass in the day, and if was
known that messages co Id be sent
ashore 40 doubt the majority of these
would avail themselves of the benefit
A considerable number of the ships
passing have come great distance with
out passing one of Lloyd's signalling
stations The signalling of these pass
ing the Sunk lightship would be- of
5reat commercial value, as their time
Of arrival at any port tleSS were bound
for could be timed bv the owners in
london accurately. and everything
coald be made ready for the landing
and sale of the cargo.