Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-11-09
MARCONrS INVENTION.
Tests of Wireless Telesraphy Made
by Naval Officers Prove Satisfactory
"A Description Of the Method.

A Description of the Method.
New York, Nov. 2.-The cruiser New
York and the battleship Massachusetts
returned last night to their anchorage
in the North river after being em-
ployed for three days in evolutions
fov the purpose of demonstrating the
working of the Marconi system of
wireless telegraphy under various
practical conditions. The operations
were under the direction of a board
of three naval officers appointed for
the purpose. Mr.. Marconr was handi-
capped by incompetent instruments
which had been brought to the United
States simply to report the interna-
tional yacht race, and was unable to
give the government as thorough
demonstration of the capabilities or
the apparatus as he would have
wished. the request from the navy de-
partment for a government rest haV-
ing been made too late to permit
change of plans without interfering
with his contract. But the result OF
the working of the three sets Of in
struments employed III the tests ot
the past three days was to show the
government board that there is prac-
teal utility in the system, when
would be of inestimable value to naval
vessels during evolutions OF any klhd'
and especially when on scodting duty.
The members of the government
board will be obliged to call attention
to the fact that during these tests 1T
was possible for any instrument To-
Gated within the circumScribed radius
of transmission to destroy the effect
iveness of other instruments at any
time. While the Massachusetts, for
instance, was telegraphing to the New
York, the operator at Ravesink sent
Il message at the same time and the
result on the receiving side of the New
York's set was mass of snreadable
characters. caused by thN two series OF
electrical impulses reaching the in
strument at the same time.
This was done deliberately. Mr..
Narconi said he could prevent this in
reference on the part of a third sta
ton. but that he would not demon
strate it during these tests, hcCausC
he had not vet received his patents for
that feature.
Mr. Marconi allowed a representa-
1--WE OF llt I't'So " IliN Nl'''A Ills i'i'''' ~
meuts. The method Of transmitting
ard receiving messages by his system,
as now used. may be explained rs fol
lows. \ wire runs from the earth, or
water when aboard ship, to the in
strumcnt and thence to the top OF a
mast. 4 powerful alternating cur
rent is made tC foVj up the wire oT
means of au induction coil. which is
made alive Ivy closing key, similar
to an ordinary Morse telegraph set,
except that it is much larger. While
the key is closed the rapid alternating
currents pass up the wire and set in
motion electrical waves in all direc-
tions. \ rapid opening and closing OF
the key produces a dot, and dash IS
made by holding tie key down a
longer period. Thus the characters
of the Morse alphabet are made aud
any telegraph operator can read what
is sent or received.
When an instrument is not in use
for transmission, a switch disconuccts
the kew and attaches receiver Which
is likewise connected with the mast
or the earth. The electrical impulses
sent out by any Other station are
caught BY the wire at the mast hnd
convened to the reCtlNt~. NncFt iHSN
magnetic in an eXtreHelY slight de
gree u small bar. enough to cause
minute metal filings near by to clus-
ter about it. This closes another cir
cult. which works Il recording inStru-
ment like the old fashioned telegraph
register and sets small hammer,
callced the Taper, t. humping
against the glass tube which holds
the bar and filings. Aa soon as the
sending operator releases his key and
stoDs the electrical impulses from
flowing from his wire, tie attraction
of the bar for the filings ceases and
the humping of the tapper causes
them to fall back into rtaae. This
opens the other circuit mentioned and
the marker on the register drops back
from the paper and at the same time
the tappcr stops. The SHIRT and sus-
tanned impulses from the sender thus
cause dots and dashes to be marked
on the paper by the register through
the delicate but exact wtTk Of the
oh