The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-05-16
ON WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY
CLEAR EXPLANATION OF HOW IT
is WORKED.
Satisfactory Experiments Now in Pro-
gress by Two American Army Off
cers-Success Predicted.

NOW lldI lllt SlElldl tblDS VI Nllt
army has been partially relieved of its
duties and responsibilities caused by
| the war, writes a Washington CORE
/ spondent. Colonel Allen and Dieuten-
ant Squire have resumed their expert
ments in wireless telegraphy, and hope
! for important results. Colonel Allen
| had charge of the work of the signal
| corps in Cuba and Puerto Rico and
made a splendid record. Lieutenant
! Squire comes from Dryden, Mich, was
nominated to West Point by ex-Gov-
| ernor Rich. and after graduation spent |
five years in the study of electricity at |
Johns Hopkins University. which con-
| ferred upon him the degree of doctor |
of philosophy. He has taken up the |
work of this new science, or rather |
this new branch of an old science, |
with enthusiasm as well as skill.
Contrary to the popular impression, !
wireless telegraphy is not a new thing.
The possibility of sending messages
and signals through the air by means
of magnetic waves has been discussed
for half a century. The principle was
recognized long ago by Professor Hen
ry, who conducted several successful
experiments. Professor Lodge of Llv
erpoOl Heinrich Hertz of Berlin and
other famous scientists and electri-
clans. William II. Preece, chief engi-
neer of the British postal service. has
been devoting a great deal of time to
the subject but Sig. Marconi a young
Italian, is credited with the first prac-
teal application of the principle. He
has constructed apparatus by which
; he has been able to send a message
across the English channel, a distance
of thirty-two miles, and the first news
paper SPECIAL transmitted in this man
:, ner appeared in the London Times on
the 2Sth of March.
The apparatus used consists of
transmitter and a receiver similar in
! many respects to the instruments used
- in the ordinary telegraph office.
; THE transmtter" explained Lieu
tenant Squire in an interview consists
of an induction coil of great power
capable of producing a spark. In cir
cult with this is a regular Morse key.
If The spark is caused to pass between
:, two or more brass balls from one to
three inches in diameter. One end of
g the coil runs into the ground, the other
is attached to a vertical wire, which
- varies in length according to the dis
. tance we wish to send the message.
. 1t will average about twenty feet for
O. the first mile, and after that by dOub-
ling the length OF the wire we can
80 communicate four times the distance
~ The newspapers say that for signaling
+ eighteen miles Sig MarConi used a
vertical conductor of eighty feet, and
for thirty-two niles, when he sent his
message across the channel he had 6
conductor ia feet long.
In sending a message we use the
simple Morse characters. Every time
, the circuit is closed there is a torren
y of sparks, which produces a dot or {
dash, according to the time the key II
II held down. This starts a series OF
electric waves through the atmosphere
which trave. with the velocity of ligh
that is, $4,000 miles a second. w
R could send message to the sun, 70
example, in about eight minutes. Thes
waves are guided to their destination
nv what call a reflector wi
centrates the rays of light from
lamp, except ii is made of zinc or cop
per instead of glass.
Arriving at their destination. tn,
waves which bear our messages are re
ceived by special instrument know
as coherer. 1t is a minute tube o
glass filled with filings of silver anC
nickel The ends are closed with met
allie plugs, one being connected will
rt the earth the other with a seconC
of vertical wire similar to that attache,
Id to the transmitting instrument u
or circuit with the tube is a local bat
terry and an ordinary telegraphic rela,
instrument.
vi The electric waves from. the trans
q mitter, when projected upon the littl
nd tube I have described, cause the filing
within 1t to cohere. That is, they mo
ed mentarily are welded together by
at large number of minute discharges O
electricity between the individual par
tlNltS' w ME iHp contents OF the tub
are thus agitated the electric resist
ance is reduced and permits the loca
1T battery to send current through il
III This causes a regular sounder to re
III peat the signals, the message of dot
~ and dashes that the operator has sen
with the transmitter. The messag
st can be taken either by the ear or b.
automatic apparatus
he I'VE have worked 1000 yards witt
great success" said Lieutenant Squire
land are gradually extending the dis
lance.
No the weather does not make an,
difference. We can send a message II
. the rain or in gale of wind Just a
accurately as when the air is still an,
full of sunshine and can communicat
from one tent to another tent or from
the interior of one building to the int
rior of another. We find that by tn
use OF the reflector we can concentrat
m the waves very accurately upon the re
L ceiver when we know it's location"
IL THAT HAT.