Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18
Wireless Telegraphya Success Nearly
Thirty Years Ago.
WORK OF 4 WASHINGTON MAN
Messages Were Sent Over a Dis
lance of Twenty Miles.
MAHLON LEWIS DISCOVE cry

Written for The Evening Star by William Jones
Rhees.
The recent wonderful achievements of NJ.
Marconi have attracted world wide atten-
ton. and our own government has just Sc
cured his personal services for the applica-
ton of his invention to provide commune
cation between Key West and Havana and
to extend 1t to all the West Indies.
In some quarters it is said that this Is a
novel invention, never before dreamed Of
and that Marconi is the first to propose it.
Others claim that it has long been known
to be feasible, and experiments are referred
to by many scientific investigators in the
same line Undoubtedly of this latter class
our own Prof. Joseph Henry would hold
hrst place for he demonstrated in 1912 the
making of signals from considerable dis
tances and through many obstacles.
But 1t is not my purpose to discuss the
scientific aspects of the case but to fur
nish purely historical facts and to prove
that Mahlon Looms, an American, and a
citizen of Washington, is entitled to a large
share of credit.
Nearly Thirty Years Ago.
On the Both of July, 1872, a patent was
granted by the United States government
to Mahlon LOomis of Washington, d. c..
for new and improved mode of telegraph
ing, and of generating light. heat and mo-
tive power. This patent declares the in
NentfOn or discovery to consist in utilizing
natural electricity and establishing an cleo
tr1Cal current or circuit for Geographic and
other purposes without the aid of wires
artlfcial batteries or cables to form such
circuit 1t was further described as dis
pensing with the usual wires and in using
the earth as one-half the circuit and the
continuous electrical element far above the
earth $ surface for the other part of the
circuit. The means provided for reaching
the upper stratum of electricity was the
erection of towers, high poles. kites or
other apparatus on mountain or hilltOps or
elevated places.
The of vertical wires was required to
conduct the electricity from the upper at
mosphere TO ordinary telegraphic instru-
ments at the earths surface, the Interrupt
ton of continuity of the fluid at one end
being recognized by a similar apparatus at
a distant point.
This broad claim of utilizing natural cleo
trlclty from elevated points for Geographic
purposes would seem to cover the whole
ground of wireless biography and to pre-
cede. antedate and cover all recent achve-
ments in this field.
Successful Experiments
LOOMS, having procured his patent, en-
deavored to secure financial aid to put his
plain into practical operation, but he met
with jeers, rebuffs and opposition alike
from the scientist, the capitalist and espe-
ciaIIv the telegram coronanfas He enc-
ceeded. however in enlisting the sympathy
OF AeNeFdl congressman and III demonstrate
10 "GtIaI eNpeTililtnt IN the summer OF
stations fonrteen 2,iies W. ui%oamt
wires, on spurs of the Blue Ridge. virginia
by elevating a kite on each mountain, the
eetiLiS u MItCli was d SllaH copper wire at
tached to galvanometer, each ground end
lying IN water.
In the Washington Chronicle of %o,-an,-
Der 10, 1879. the following annears:
Professor LOOMS has the true idea. and
1t will eventually revoIutionize the whole
system Of telegraphy
"LOOmts aerial system has Just been tried
on lines of different lengths win ,-ariabIa
line of 100 miles lineal distance (SOO nniIas
circuiD the tests We're perfectly sstfsfac-
tory at elevation of POO feet. At a
mountain elevation of I ooa faa+ IT, +a,+t
and results were yery stro,,g IA df.+ tesoa
Of fourteen miles These experiments we're
made simply by kites covered with Ana
light gauze wire of copper. held with
very fine string or te+bairf 90 ~ "itIi d
teriaI the lower end Of which f,r,r,ns ma una
connection with the yround Nv 49,, -
col! in a pool Of water ~ '''4S III
Two galvanometers vere IN o;ro,,i. 49,
nection at the two dirrerart sta+i ~ IN IN,
each impulse or Indication wao &c -
that of the Atlantic cehIe +bnTgL ~,
quiring very nice manipulation.
The Hartford Conn Times IN o,1I,.1- .
tention TO the subiect soid. is At
r"r twenty Miles.
LOOmis built a kind of 4 teleeconic +,,,,o
at the ton of two bieb hi1,.
tuep,, ,,t,o, ,,a.a 20 ''i'''ps' ABDUL
I'D steel rod b,, x,,biot, pa
current of electricity, p,as -,oo1a,
months at a time he has bee,, obi. :. 49,
graph from one tower To ano,ber
OF late he has done all bts t,,,-i .. II.
assistant twenty miles away from him
the connection being aerial ONLY"
nus MS great claim was proved and the
,,,,ii;,I tIi' "usht 10 nave removed the
"a Eiliil'S Hh'pti'lSm as TO the reality of
g So 49,.
en- IN , neloIe ne nad secured his pat
o,i' t-o ''I nau Htnorlallzed Congress for
80, p,UPiIdtipil OF S'oVN to enable him
$50 49, .n.aTlISh the practcahillty of wireless
res sumner IN presenting the
t,niS.oH III the senate said that 1T Is GER
ILL d great case or moonshine or 1t
me- NJ NJ an epoch IN the progress of inven-
~
-1lteI cohslutrdple discussion as to its
arp opp idte reference II was referred to
'its committee on patents
senator foneFoy Nentured to indorse the
ha1 In 1,