The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-02
WORK OF MARC0Ml SYSTEM.
PRACTICAL TESTS MADE ny FAR
GUITARS SQUADRON.


Bis Wireless TeIegraphy-But II Is
Not Yet SO Arranged rs 10 Prevent
the Interference of n Third sta
tiOn-Mnrconi Declares, However,
That He Cam stop This Inter-
ference.
New York, Nov. 1.-The cruiser New
York, flagship of Rear Admiral Farquhar.
and the battleshlp Massachusetts, returned
tonight to The anchorage off Thrty-hfth
street, North river, after being employed
Tor three days in evolutions, for the pur-
pose Of demonstrating The working of the
Marconi system of wireless telegraphy un-
der various practical conditions.
The operations were under the direction
of board of three naval officers, appoint
ed for the purpose, namely, Lieutenant
Commander J. 7. Newton. aboard the New
York; Lieut.. j. w. BHsh, with the inslru-
mcnts at NayasinlS, N. j.. and Lieut.. +.
X. I'm aboard the Massachusetts.
Mr., Marcon was handicapped by the In
complete Instruments which had been
brought to the United states simply for
The purpose Of reporting the international
yacht races, and was unable to give the
government board as thorough a demon
stration of the capabilities of the nppara-
tus as he would have wished
Results We're Gratifying.
The request from the navy depa riment
for government test had been made too
late to permit change of plans without In
terferng with his contract. But the re-
suit of the working OF three sets of instru-
ments employed in the tests In the past
three days was to show the government
board that there is a practical utility in
the system, which would be Of inestimalle
value to naval vessels during evolutlons
of any kind and especially when on scout
ing duty.
The members OF the government will be
Obliged to call attention TO the fact that
during these tests it was possible for any
instrument located within the circumscrb-
ed radius Of transmission to destroy the
effectiveness OF other Instruments at any
time. While the Massachusetts. for in
stance, was telegraph,ng to the New York
the operator at NayesIck sent q message
at the same time. and the result on the re-
oeiving eide of the New York set. was a
mass OF unreadable characters caused by
the two series OF electrical impulses reach
ing the instrument at the same time.
Mr.. MarconI said that he could prevent
this interference on the part OF third
station, but that he would not demonstrate
I during these tests, because he had not yet
received his patents for that feature.
NEarconi's Method.
Mr. Marconi allowed a representative of
the Associated Press to make minute
inspection of the Instruments. The meth
Cd of transmitting and receiving messages
by his system as now used may be briefly
explained as follows:
"A wire runs from the earth, or water,
when aboardship, to the instrument and
thence to the top Of a mast. A powerful
alternating current Is made to flow up the
wire by means OF an induction coil, which
is made alive by closing a key, similar
TO an ordinary Morse telegraph set, except
that II is much larger While the key Is
closed the rapid alternating currents pass
up the wire and set IN motion electrical
waves In all directions A rapid opening
and closing of the key produces dot,
aud a dash Is made by holding the key
down a longer period. Thus the characters
of the Morse alphabet are made by which
any telegraph operator can read what is
sent or received When an instrument IS
not used for transmitting a switch discon-
meets the key and attaches a receiver
which is likewise connected with the mast
on The earth. The electrical impulses sent
oct by any other station are caught by the
wire at the mast and conveyed 10 the re-
ceiver, where they magnetic in an ex-
tremely slight degree small bar enough
10 cause minute metal filings near by to
cluster about 1t. This closes another cir
cuff, which works a recording instrument
like the old-fashioned telegraph register,
and sets a small hammer, called the tap
per" to humping against the glass tube,
which holds the bar and filings.
"As soon as the sending operator re-
leases his key and stops the electrical i'm
pulses from flowing from his wire. the at
traction OF the bar for the filings ceases
and the humping OF the "tapper" causes
them 70 fall back into place. This opens
the other circuit mentioned, and
the marker on the register drops
back from the paper at the
same time the "tappcr" stops The short
and sustained impulse from the sender
thus cause dots and dashes to be marked
on the paper by the register through the
delicate but exact work Of the coherer. /"
Put to Practical Use.
A practical use Of the wireless telegraph
that pleased all the officers aboard the
New York, especially Rear Admiral Far
quhar and Capt. Chadwick, occurred to-
day. While the New York and the Mas
sachusetts the latter astern, were putting
out to sea this afternoon the Marconi on
orator on the battleship called the nag
snip up and clicked out that there was a
man overheard The message was taken
to the officers, who were clustered aft try
ing to make out why the Massachusetts,
was heaving to. The battloship's lifeboats
were rapidly lowered and were soon pull
ing a race for the rescue Of the unlucky
jackie. Signals were sent aioft notifying
the flagship what had occurred, but during
the ten minutes occupied IN dspla ying the
message Rear Adioral Farquhar had been
IN constant Communication with the Mas
saehusetts by wireless telegraph, and
had learned that the man overheard had
caught the life buoy thrown out by the
sailor whose duty It IS 10 watch for such
occurrences and was therefore not IN