The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-30
To TELEPHONE
UNDER WATER
Apparatus. for Commu-
nication at Sea.
TALKING WITHOUT WIRES
WONDERFUL INVENTION OF AN
-. 3. ITALIAN SCIENTIST.
Aimed to Prevent Collisions on the
Ocean and Render Submarine
Boats Useless for Hostile
Operations.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CALL HEADQUARTERS, WE'LL
INGTON HOTEL. Washington, June
29.-An invention recently made by an
Italian scientist is aimed to prevent
collisions at sea and render submarine
boats useless for hostile operations
The invention is known as wireless
telephony" and is intended to enable
officers on different ships to talk with
each other without the aid of wires
Commander Richardson Clover Chief
Of the Office of Naval Intelligence, said
to-day that the invention has received
considerable attention abroad and
contains elements Of success. 1t is
likely that the Navy Department will
carefully look into the matter with a
view To- the use of the invention in the
American naval service.
Exporting is have been made on the
Italian gunboat Scilla in the Gulf of
Genoa i'm the presence of scientists and
naval experts. The inventor is
Sicilian professor. Marco Russo d'Asar.
Wire SS telephony announces in the
darkness Of the night OF dense fog the
approach OF ships. torpeGo-bOats and
even If invisible submarine boats, in
dicateS their direction. and places the
men on watch on guard. Concerning
the invention and trials which have
been made. this translation of an
article i'm L'Italia Marina. which has
been confirmed by official reports. has
been made.
1t is Wen known that the transmits
sion of sounds is in direct ratio to the
density of means through which they
aTe transmitted. II is equally well
known that water is an excellent
means for transmitting sounds to a dis
lance.
"It has been noticed that a bather
immersed in water hears with great
distinctness. the sound Of steamers
engine in motion. because the water in
which the latter is immersed is in a
special state Of vibration. owing to the
movement Of the engine and the screw
actuated thereby.
From these principles the inventor
derived the conclusion that if the air
could seize these vibrations of sound
an instrument of great sensibility be-
low The water would be susceptible of
selling them at d greater distance and
with greater. distipctness. and he be
came convinced that the telephone APP
paratus should be the point Of depar-
tuTe for obtaining a practical means OF
signaling between two vessels. Water
would take the place of wires. 1t was
e necessary first Of all TO construct a
the functions Of the ear below the sur
face Of the water. then another appara-
tus that would increase the sounds re
Ceived and indicate the direction
whence they came
The following illustrations represent
. the different parts of which the tee-
phone apparatus is composed: A part
which is placed on the coming bridge
and one which is secured to the ships
side and is Immersed in water. from
which it receives the vibrations pro-
duced by the engine in motion of an
other vessel. and transmits them in in
creased volume TO the telephone APP
Daratus The submarine receiver is a
kind Of box secured to the hull with a
number Of depressiOns so as to receive
sounds from all directions. From the
center of each Of these an electric wire
leads TO the telephone, which latter
contains an ingenious mechanism
based on Edisons well-known scientific
principle A dial plate on board is di-
vided in two parts corresponding tc
the two sides of a ship. Two hands in
dictate the direction of the ship. Two
hands indicate the direction of the
steamer signaled. a system OF bells
at the upper part of the dial plate and
one Of the receivers on board indicate
by sound with greatest distinctness
the rhythm of the screw of a distant
vessel.
When coming within seven kilome-
ters Of a steamer the hand Of the tele-
phone turns and indicates the direc-
ton Of the vessel and follows it's route
while the bells and receiver beat stimuli
taneously the cadence of the distant
screw. The noises Of the vessel or
which the apparatus is located cause
no disturbance, because, owing to the
special construction Of the submarine
receiver, they are not transmitted"