Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-20
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.
The Latest Scientific Wonder.

Some Account OF the system aud It's
Inventor, which Seems TO Accomplish
the Impossible.
The system of wireless telegraphy has
first been attempted and put to practical
use in this country during the races be-
tween the yachts Columbia and Shamrock
for the Americas cup. The inventor of
this scientific marvel of the end of the
century came to this country in September,
fresh from series of remarkable successes
during the sailing of these races. The New
York Tribune gives an interesting account of
what he has accomplished.
Signor Guglielmo Marconi, whose name
has been in the mouths of all civilized peo-
pie during the last year, and who is popu-
larly known as the inventor of method
of telegraphy which dispenses with wires
between stations, is an Italian by birth,
and partly so by parentage. His mother
was an English woman, but his father was
native of Italy. His birthplace was Bo-
logna, and he is about 20 years of age.
Since 1905, however, he has been a resi-
dent of England, and has apparently iden-
titled himself permanently with that coun-
try. Both his scientific and his financial
hackers live there
Marconi had demonstrated the possibil-
ity Of signaling without wires, by means
of the Hertzian waves, before he left Italy,
but not until he reached England did any
one show much interest in him. For 10
years or more Mr.. Preece, then at the head
of the Geographic department of the Brit
ish postal service, had been working away
at the problem of wireless telegraphy, but
he had employed a somewhat different
principle from that of the young Italian,
and secured less remarkable results. But
with beautiful generosity he promptly rec
ognized the superior merits of Marconi's
plan, and gave him material aid in devel-
oping the new system. Experiments were
made, both out in an open plain, as at Sal
isbury, and inside city district filled with
great buildings. The penetrating power of
the form of vibrations used by the Italian
was proved beyond doubt before the close
of 1897.
Three incidents of much significance oc-
Cured last year. Regular service was es-
tablished between Alum Bay, on the Isle
of Wight, and the main land at Bourne
mouth, distance of Is miles.
After the Prince of Wales had sufficient
ly recovered from the injury to his knee
last summer to embark on his yacht, it re-
manned in the vicinity of the Isle of Wight,
on which Osborne House, one of the
Queens residences, is situated. Most of
the time for sixteen days the yacht lay in
Cowes Bay, about two miles from Osborne
House. During that period frequent re-
ports were sent to her Majesty on the con-
dition of his Royal Highness. Once in a
while the yacht would be put out to sea,
but communication was maintained, never
theless, often at distance of seven or
eight miles. During this period $50 mes
sages were sent by the Marconi apparatus,
and no hitch of any kind occurred.
Regular service between the South Fore
land station on land and the East Goodwin
Sands Lightship was established on Christ
mas Eve, 1893. The interval spanned here
is only about seven miles.
Two more advances were made after the
new year came in. The first messages
across the English Channel were sent last
March. The distance between the South
Foreland and Boulogne is variously put at
twenty-eight and thirty-two miles. Early
in the summer series of tests were made
with warships. The French naval vessel
Vienne communicated with both France
and England when at a distance of forty-
two miles from the former aud twelve or
fourteen from the latter.
An important feature of the Marconi
system is wire arranged vertically near
the sending apparatus, and similar one
near the receiver. Without this attach
ment the system will not work so well as
with it. At Bournemouth and Alum Bav