The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-02
SYSTEM Is PRACTICABLE.
Success Of Wireless
Telegrahy at Sea.
Results Of Experiments by Naval
Department.
Constant Communica-
tion with Ships.
Interference Is, However, Shown
To Be Possible.

New York. November 1.-The U. S. 5.
New York, dasship of Rear Admiral
Farqu uhar and the battleship Massaohu-
setts returned tonight 10 the anchorage
of 35th street, North river, after being
employed for three days In evolutions for
the purpose Of demonstrating the work
ing OF the Marooni system of wireless
telegraphy under various rractioal condi-
tions. The operations were under the d.
rectiou Of q board of three naval officers,
namely, Lieut.. Commander ]. 4. New
ton, aboard the New York; J. W. Blish
with the instruments at Navesink, N
j., and Lieut.. y. *. Hill, aboard the
Massachusetts,. MIR. Marconi was handi-
capped by incomplete 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
demonstration OF the capabilities OF the
apparatus as he would have wished. But
the result of this working Of three sets OF
Instruments employed in the tests OF the
past three days Yves to show the govern
utility In the system which would be OF
iusstimable value to naval vessels during
evolu.ions of any kind and especially
when on scouting duty. The members of
the government board will be obliged to
call attention to the fact that during
these tests 1t was possible for any instru-
ment located within the clrcumscriped
radius of transmission TO destroy the
effectiveness Of other Instruments at any
time. While the Massachusetts,. for
instance, was telegraphing to the New
York, the opsI sor at Navesink ssnt
message at the same time and the result
on the receiving side OF the New York's
set was tumble Of undecipherable char
aoters caused by the two sets Of electrical
impulses reaching the instrument at the
same time.
This was done deliberately. MIR.
Marconl said that he could prevent this
interference on the part of third station
but that he would not demonstra'e IL dur
ing thss tests, because he hrd not yet Sc
cured his patent for that feature.
A practical use of the wireless telegraph
that pleased all the officers aboard the
New York occurred today. While the
New York and Massachusetts, the latter
astern, were putting out to SEA, the
Mnrconi operator on the battleship called
the flagship up and clicked that there was
a man overheard. The message was taken
to the officers who wers clustered aft try
ing to make out why the Massaeh usetts
xrn hAa N
boats were rapidly lowered and were soon
pulling race for the rescue OF the un-
lucky jackie. Signals were sent aloft
notifying the flagship what had occurred
tut during the ten minutes oc cupied In
displaying the message, Admiral Far
quhar had been in constant communica-
tion with the Massachusetts, by wireless
telegraph and had learned that the man
overheard had caught the life buoy
thrown by a sailor and was therefore not
In much danger. Admiral Farquhar
ordered the Massachusetts, to report when
the man had been picked up and half an
hour later while those on deck were
watching the return of the port lifeboat
through their glasses, and wondering
which boat had succeeded in getting him,
the receiver In the instrument room REQ
orded that the starbonrd life boat which
had been hidden from view from the
New York, had made the rescue and
been hoisted aboard.
Beyond the simple test OF the ability
Of the instrument to transmit and recetvs
messages, the government boards pro-
gramme called for long distance trans
mission and interference tests. On Mon
day the New York hoveTei about the