New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-04
WIRELESS TELEGRAPH AT SEA.

When Marconis somewhat sensational
achievements I'm wireless telegraphy were first
made public. n little more than a year ago. II
was suggested that his system might prove
serviceable for communication between land STA
lions and lightships. merchant vessels or war
ships of the coast. Since that time II has been
shown that such practice Is feasible under
certnin conditions
on the coast OF Italy messages have been sent
10 naval vessels ut distance of ten miles. Cor
rcspondencs has been maintained for several
months past. with 70 ,nlarity. between Rourn"-
mouth ani the Isle Of Wight. more than four
teen miles apart on single occasions messages
have heen already sent about thirty miles. And
Marconi is now cnieayoring 10 arrange FOR sig
mailing between tho English coast and Cher
bourg sixty miles away. one s thus led 10 ask
himself whether or not this method ~ signalling
possesses any ADVANTAGES which arc not In
herent I'm others now in vogue
II the weather IS fine Tags can be seen for
fifteen miles. and the helioeraph will send n
beam Of sunlight much further Tho latter ap-
paratus has been worked In exceptional IN
stances for 4 distance exceeding one hundred
miles. But FOG, rain smoke and haze Will occa-
sonally make all ~ these systems practically
worthless. and will Interfere more or less with
magnetic waves which Hertz ala so much 10 in
vcst!gate but which Marconl was thu first 70
utilize travel erualiy we'll by night and 10y day,
through cloud and through sunshine The man
who operates n heliograph must be able 20
ind ny telescope or compass. or both. the sta
ton with which he wishes 70 communicate. and
must carefully train his reflected sunbeam on
that point The Hertzian wave finds the person
whom II is designed 10 reach without any such
trouble II does no, spread with the same power
In all directions, 10 be sure. but II requires no
special aim.
/, has been objected that for army on the
march balloon. 20 sustain that portion 81 the
Marconi apparatus which "a usually supported
on n pole would be required and that this would
involve taking along cumbrous Sasmaking ma
chinery. The point has little force. An elcva-
ton 81 one hundred or two hundred feet IL
necessary. kite would do the business II
there was a breeze. II not. very small
gasbag would serve, and compressed hydro
gen from storage cylinder would quickly
MI H. SIN. even II II should be found
inc0nvenient to employ wireless telegraphy In
the field, II might nevertheless be available In
the Navy. improvements in the details Of the
system recently made on this side of the At
lantic certainly seem n increase It's service
ability In the hands ~ ordinary telegraph opera
tors
AS yet II is uncertain whether signalling with
Her,zian waves can ba conducted with absolute
secrecy or not Marconi thought at one time
that his receiving instrument must h, tuned"
to respond TO the particular rate OF the trans
mit,ers vibration. and that only receiver so
adjusted could pick up a message. Professor
Pupin. Mr. Clarke and others have expressed
hath yIi 10
quency in the electro magnetic vibrations is pos
slble with efficient apparatus But even should
"selective signalling be found impracticable.
the other merits of the system may possibly be
considered sufficient to Justify its adoption. at
least experimentally.