The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-02
Defects of One Feature Not Remedied
Because the Inventor Has Not
Secured His Patents.
METHOD OF TRANSMISSION
DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
.HOw THEY ARE OPERATED.
Five of the Hawaiian Islands to Have
Wireless Communication Instead
of Submarine Cables.

NEW YORK, Nov. 1.-The cruiser New
York, flagship of Rear Admiral Farquhar,
and the battleship Massachusetts returned
to their anchorage eff Twenty-third street,
North river, after being employed for three
days in evolutions for the purpose of dem
onstrating the working of the Marconi sys-
TEN of wireless telegraphy under various
practical conditions. The operations are
under the direction of board of three naval
officers appointed for the purpose, namely,
Lieutenant Commander j. II. Newton,
aboard the New York; Lieutenant j. w.
Blish, with the instruments at Navesink,
n. j., and Lieutenant f. X. Hill, aboard the
Massachusetts.
Marconi was handicapped 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 capa-
tiities of the apparatus as he would have
wished, the regular Navy Department per-
mission for a government test having been
made too late to allow change of plans
without interfering with his contract. But
the result Of the working of the three sets
of instruments employed in the tests of
the past three days was enough to show the
government board that there is practical
utility in the system which would be of
inestimable value to naval vessels during
evolutions 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 it was possible for
any instrument located within the circum-
scribed radius of transmission to destroy
the effectiveness of other instruments at
any time. While the Massachusetts,, for in
stance. was telegraphing to the New York
the operator at Navesink sent message
at the same time. and the result on the
receiving side of the New York's set was
a mass of unreadable characters caused ty
the two series of electrical impulses reach
ing the instrument at the same time. This
was done deliberately. Mr.. Marconi said
that he could prevent this interference on
the part of third station, but that he
would not demonstrate it during these
tests because he had not yet received his
patents for that feature.
THE INSTRUMENTS.
Mr.. Marcon allowed representative OF
the Associated Press to make a minute in
spection of his instruments. The method OF
transmitting and receiving messages by his
system, as now used, may be briefly ex-
planned as follows: A wire runs from the
earth, or water when aboard ship, to the
instrument and thence to the top of a mast
powerful alternating current is made tC
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 il is much larger. While the
key is closed the RAPID alternating currents
pass up the wire and set in motion elec
trical waves i'm all directions. A rapid open
ing and closing of the key produces do
and dash is made by holding the key dowT
a longer period. Thus the characters of the
Morse alphabet are made and any telegraph
operator can read what is sent or received
When an instrument is not in use for trans
mitting a switch disconnects the key and at
taches receiver, which is likewise conect
ed with the mast on the earth. The elec
trcal impulses sent out by any other sta
ton are caught by the wire at the mas
land conveyed to the receiver, where the,
magnetic in extremely slight degree
small bar, enough TO cause minute meta
filings near by TO cluster about ii. This
closes another circuit. which works a re
cOrding instrument like the old-fashioneC
telegraph register and sets small hammer
called the Taper" to humping against tn,
glass tube which holds the bar and filings
AS soon as the sending operator release:
his KEY and stops the electrical impulse.
| from flowing from his wire, the attraction
| of the bar for the filings ceases and tht
humping of the Taper causes them I,
| fall back into place. This opens the othe
| circuit mentioned, and the marker on tn
register drops back from the paper and a
| the same time the "tapper" stops. The shor
and sustained impulses from the sende
! thus cause dots and dashes TO be marked
| on the paper by the register through tn
delicate but exact work of the 'coherer.
A practical use of the wireless telegraph
| that pleased all the officers aboard the New
| York, especially Rear Admiral Farquha
| and Captain Chadwick, occurred to-day
| While the New York and Massachusetts,
! the latter astern, were putting out to Sc;
/ this forenoon, the Marconi operator on tn
| battleship called the flagship up and clicke'
| out that there was man overheard. TIL
message was taken TO the officers, wh
| were clustered aft, trying 10 make out VIII,
| the Massachusetts was heaving to. The bat
| tleship's lifeboats were rapidly lowered an'
| were soon pulling race for the rescue O
| the unlucky Jackie" Signals were sen
| aloft notifying the flagship what had oc
| CURED, but during the ten minutes occupies
| i'm displaying the message Rear Admira
/ Farquhar had been I'm constant communica
tIon with the Massachusetts by wireless
telegraphy and had learned that the ma
| overheard had caught the life buoy throw
by the sailor whose duty ii is TO watch 70
such occurrences, and was, therefore. no
| I'm much danger.
Rear Admiral Farquhar ordered the Mas
sachusetts to report when the man had bee
picked I'D and half an hour later. Will