The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-06
no WIRES USED



Recent Experiments Ia. 1elsgraphy alRd'
-- by aa Itallan sgienilsi.
New York Herald; Here Is an inven'
tlon and an inventor, as one might say
little known to the American public, but
who, nevertheless, should be celebrated
lIt is a question Of the electric telegraph
without wire, which has long been a
problem and which has called forth
much labor and many researches, but
so far, has been a total loss to every in
weston, that Is to say from a practical
point OF view.
The majority Of the searchers have
! tried, In all previous attempts, 10 utilize
the tellurlc currents and the properties
OF electrical Induction, The new dis
covery, of which we have so far had very
uncertain and vague ideas, gained its
inspiration from another theory, cele-
! bFated In q purely scientific domain
that OF HeFtz, and is known under the
name OF the electrical magnetic theory
OF light.
Every one knows that since F'resnal
the luminous phenomena have been az,
| trlbuted 10 the fluctuations Of an ideal
| uuuy-tNIltIN W NAAn NAAA AA4AaAANN tAANN
| orally through space the movements
provoked at a certain point, just about
the same as when stone is thrown into
quiet wafer II will transmit on Its sur-
face In a series OF circles the waves
caused by the fall,
The great physician Hertz has given
| out an Identical explanation OF the elee-
| trical and magnetic phenomena. IL his
doctrine IS not universally admitted by
the sayants 1t must be recognized US
having, however, many facts In favor
| OF II. In any case, there are few physi-
clans who have not taken II seriously
and studied II Atteniiyely. Among them
one who has done the most toward con-
trlbutiDg to the PRONUNCIATION OF this
study OF the fluctuations OF Hertz, Is
Prof. Rlghi, OF the University OF Bou-
logne.
Mr.. GuglleImo Marconi worked in the
professors laboratory at the Invention
he has just perfected, He Is u young
man, only twenty-five years old, The
extraordinary faculty OF invention, OF
which Mr.. Marconl has given proof. has
appealed most strongly to his master,
who has undertaken the task OF disci-
pllnlng and directing this brilliant intel
llgence. on the other hand, Mr.. Mar
conf, who Is English on his mothers
side, has found himself in intimate reta-
lions with Mr. Preeoe, director OF the
London postotiice, whose name Is uni-
versally known in the world OF tele-
grapheTs and electricians.
Thanks to Mr.. Preece. several expert
ments have been tried In England, In
the plains OF Salisbury and In the Brit
lsh channel; several rarely privileged
al. lao al 90, ataN
at them, one OF these, man OF science
and tncontestibfe worth, has been as
tonished and carried away with them,
and has written as follows: "rhe dis
covery made by this young man of
twenty-five years is wonderful, but the
glory OF furnishing the means OF practi-
cally experimenting II belongs TO Mr..
Preece."
The result OF the experiments which
have mentioned was that the expert
mentors were able to telegraph nine
English miles between stations. The fog
offered no hlndrance TO these communi-
cations, and the practical Importance OF
such result may be easily compre-
hended as far as collisions at sea are
concerned Two ships will be able to
mutually give warning of their pres
ence day or night, even during the
thickest kind of fog,
II we may give credence to certain
rumors, Mr.. Mnrconi is dreaming of APP
plying his method to military manou,
vres OF another nature and considering
the possibility OF communicating with
an enenly's ship, the enemy having eS>
pressed no desire TO enter into any such
communication. by sending him some OF
Hertzs fluctuations. strong enough to
set fire to his powder magazines.
One thing Is certain, and that Is, from
n purely scientific point of view, Mr.,
Marconl's experiments are OF consider,
able Importance. They have placed In
evidence this fact, that certain undulas
lions OF Hertz's (Which may be desig,
mated some dry under the name Of un,
dulatlons of MarconD can be trans,
mitted through the body without en-
counterlng any obstacles--thnt is to say.
Opaque bodies, They viii claim q rela-
tionshlp to the Roentgen rays and also
q deeper and more general penetration
The young savant wording In his IL
hrary has been sinsuiariy hePleGtful OF
the protection offered TO his discoveries
by taking out patents, This fact i'm.
poses on him and on those who have re-
Celved his condolences discretion which
accords little with the Impatient curl
oslty OF the public. But everything
comes to n head. us the proverb says.
Not very far distant now the time will
come when MIR. Marconi's apparatus
may be fully explained and described,
while to-day we must content ourselves
with looking at II from the outside, like
ohlldren's toys which we are forbidden
to touch or open ito see what Is inside"
In any case. Mr. Preece's name and
those Of the scientists who were aus
thorized to follow the experiments In
England are sufficient guarantees that
there Is something more In young Mar
Confs invention than n dream or mys-
tlhcatlon. viii the application be as
successful as we have been led 10 hope?
This Is another question, upon which we
VIII ask permission not to give an opln-
ion as yet, for in a matter Of science or
Industry, as In any other, II is wise not
to Judge until after having held In our
hands satisfactory proofs.