The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-05-03
Wireless Telegraphy.

The practical experiments that have
been made in wireless telegraphy be-
tween England and France, under the
direction of Sig Marconi, have at
tracted great deal of popular attention
in those two countries, and, we dare
say, have greatly interested teleg-
raphers throughout the United States /;
but thus far the popular features of the
method do not seem to have attracted
in this country the attention that their
merits deserve. Sig. Marconi's instru-
ments consist of pole or mast, which,
as we shall show later on, has height
dependent upon the distance that the
message has to be sent. A wire con-
Meeting with an ordinary Morse ma
chine, runs to the top of this pole and
there ends, pointing in the direction to
which the messages are to be sent or
from which messages are to be re-
ceived. When first put up on the
south coast of England, the system was
limited to communications between
Sig. Marconi's land station and light
ship anchored some eight miles off the
shore. But afterwards a station was
established on the coast of Boulogne,
in France, some thirty miles distant,
and for weeks past messages have been
sent from one station to the other,
through the air currents, with as much
certainty as though they had been car
ried under water by means of tele-
graph cable.
The changes in weather or wind, of
day or night, seem to have no influence
whatsoever in limiting or DETECTING the
electric current. Messages are sent and
replies are received as quickly and sat-
isfactorily as any telegrapher could de-
sire. That it is not an artfHl piece of
deception has been proved by the pres
ence at the two stations of prominent
electricians, who have sent and receiv-
ed such messages as they desired with
out the intervention of Sig. Marconi or
his assistants. OF course, if it is posi-
BILE te send messages for distance of
80 miles, it is also possible to send them
much longer distance, provided the
needed conditions are complied with.
sig. Marconi has discovered by Sc
ries of experiments that the distance
which message can be sent or receiv-
ed through the air is determined by the
height of the poles or masts al the
transmitting and receiving stations.
The increases in height CORES pond to
the square of increases in distance.
Thus poles of 40 feet in height are suf-
fcient to transmit and receive mes
sage of four miles; poles of so feet in
height will receive and transmit mes.
sages for 16 miles; poles OF 100 feet in
height would transmit and receive mes
sages covering distance of 256 miles.
Whether this distance can be enlarged
indefinitely is a matter which can only
be determined after careful practical
tests.
One defect in the system as it is now
operated is that there is no means of
iaolating the different wires so that
communication will only 90 and come
over those for which it is intended.
Thus the messages sent between France
and England are received on the instru.
ment stationed on the lightship, as well
as at either end of the line. The cleo
trio current, apparently, does not run
in direct line, but spreads over what
may be termed sphere of influence
which may be almost as wide as it is
long. 1t is possible that, after the
matter has been more carefully studied
some means will be found of preventing
this, and messages intended for one
locality will be transmitted to that 10.
cality alone, and to no other. But the
advantages of the improvement, even
under existing conditions, are go nu'
merous that the general utilization OF
the method cannot long be delayed
Boston Herald.