The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-31
.OF THE GREATEST VALUE
An Important Discovery By the
q. 8. Signal Corps.
THE SINE WAVE SYSTEM
q WI Prove IN Immense Saving to
Telegraph and Cabs CompanisaL
More Words . Minute Can
Be Sent.

Washington. Oct. 3o.-One point in
the report Of General Greeley has es-
capped public attention owing to Its dis
ISOLATION with the late war. 1t re-
iates to the discoveries Of two young
physicists. Prof. A. Crehore and Lieut..
Col. Geo. o. 6quIer. volunteer signal
oficers. who rave lately pursued. un-
der the direction Of the chief signal
oficer of the army, certain scientific in
v~estigations that promise to work a
revolution in methods of ocean tele-
Eraphy. General Greeley expresses his
belief that these discoveries n inven-
lions nave assumed such form and
phase as to be Of the greatest value
TO the commercial world. The discov-
cries outline the true scientific methods
OF telegraph. known as the sine wave
system. The first experiments were
made at the artillery school, Fort Mon
roe, Virginia. and were discussed the
o~retically in 1897, under the title OF
"synchronograph:' a new method OF
rapidly transmitting Information by the
alternating current. The next step was.
the testing of this system on a Ions
telegraph line, m for this purpose
Professor Crehore and Colonel Squier
visited England. where they were Of
fered every facility for experimental
work over the government telegraph
lines. through the courtesy of h post
master general. and the distinguished
electrician, Chief Engineer Preece.
The experiments, the report sets
forth, proved conclusively the super
iority Of a modern alternating current
smooth wave, the typical form of which
Is a simple sine wave. as compared
with the system nov exclusively used
aHrnnobOnf tho world in code teleRra-
ply. Under the sine wave system,
words were sent n received over a
line LOO miles long at a rate OF over
3 900 words per minute. Under this new
system the speed of the Wheatstone
commercial receiver was increased as
much as three-fold when operated un-
der identically the system of the old
code telegraphy. The superiority of
the sine wave having been decided by
experimental telegraphy. the next step
Is to construct transmitters for actual
commercial conditions. Two special APP
paratus were devised, one for operat-
Ing land lines and the other for the
transmission of messages over long ca
bles. The cable transmitter was COM
pleted and LAND instrument advanced
when the late war interrupted progress,
which has only been lately renewed
by direction of General Greeley.
The first practical tests of the cable
trdnsf1itttr nave JuSl bttH nnduC
through the courtesy OF George Cap
perton and other officials of the Com
mercial Gable company of New York.
The experiments were made over the
cable between New York city and Can
SO, which had a length of S21 knots.
an electrical resistance of 10, 700 ohms
and an electrical distributing capacity
of 231 m~icrofarads. These tests were
made between Sept. 25 and Oct. is. 1886.
The change from existing telegraph
methods consist IN the substitution for
the present appliance of a transmitter
sending smooth waves, such as are OBJ
tanned In alternating currents working.
without making any other changes
whatever in the elements of the presens
system. The conditions i'm the trans
mission of messages over long cables
are distinctly and widely different from
those on aerial lines. The necessity of
Increasing speed over ocean cables. the
report continues, while not generally
appreciated, is strikingly obvious when
examined from a commercial stand
point. Since every cable spanning the
Atlantic costs several million dollars,
the alu of any discovery that will in
crease the working power of these ca
bles is at once apparent.
General Greeley says that he has no
hesitation in expressing his opinion that
the sine wave system. which also ad-
mits of eas duplexing. will, within a
year or two, increase very materially
the working capacity of every cable to
which IL is applied.