The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
WIRELESS MESSAGE TO WARSHIPs.
Marconi's System Successfully Used IN Brit
ish Naval Manpuyrea.

Speciui Gable DesDdtch 10 THE SrN.
LONDON. Aug. 5.-Outside OF expert and pro-
fesSional circles Interest In the naval manpu-
vres hero Is generally small. This summer.
however. there has been general and wide
spread interest on account of the use OF
Marconis System OF wireless telegraphy The
experience OF the fleet which used it is gem
orally considered as strong testimony to the
practical value Of the system. Improvement
and DEVELOPMENT Of the system are expected.
and will doubtlessy lead to even better re-
suits
The plan OF the mann'uyn.s was briefly as
follows: Ireland was the cnemy's country.
Vice. Admiral Rawson. with the weaker but
speedier fleet. had nineteen hours start from
Belfast to intercept and carry Off convoy.
known to be On route from Nova Scotia to Mil
ford Haven. Vice Admiral Domvile, located at
Milford Haven. had rendezvous appointed
with the convoy $50 miles due west from Bantry
Bay. His object was to meet and bring tho
convoy safely to Milford Haven. Vice -Ad-
mira Rawson. of course, did not know the
locality OF til" rendezvous. and forty hour fog
interfering he did not get within thirty miles
Of the convoy.
The interest lies In admiral Domvile's
fleet. which used the wireless telegraphy. The
fleet was Obliged to give a wide berth to the
fitted with the wireless telegraph apparatus,
steamed twenty miles nearer than the others
and gave information that the enemy was
moving southwark. but omitted 10 give tho
time Of sighting. Then a fast cruiser squad
ron. fitted out with the wireless apparatus. In
Guiding the Europa. was sent well ahead to
pick up the convoy in advance OF the battle
ships. The feet left Milford Haven on Sunday
at dawn. and at 7:3O o'clock en- Thursday even
Ing the following wirelcssly transmitted mes-
sage reached the flagship:
Juno to the flagship Communicated with
the Europa about sixty miles off convoy She
there with convoy. Now returning to the
squadron. Convoy following at nine knots
Enemy not sighted"
Forty minutes later n second message mr.
rived from the Europa. again transmitted
through the Juno "a an intermediate ship
When the first message was despatched the
flagship was about thirty miles from the Juno
flity-llve miles from the Europa and cighty-six
from the convoy. The value Of the signalling
could not he better shown than by the fact that
when the battleships received the first mes
sage they and tho convoy were approaching
each other at the rate Of over twenty-one
knots hourly. but did not meet until I ! 30
O'Clock Vice Admiral Domvilc and his Of
fccrs placed the utmost confidence in the wire-
less signals. which was always justified
as they were uniformly efficient and success
full. giving constantly information Of all sorts
otherwise quite unobtaiuable.
The apparatus at present is only roughly it-
ted up on the decks OF the cruisers with n bat
tory Of dry cells. When II is made permanent
It will probably be below the water line and
worked by the ships dynamo. leaving only tho
apparatus fastened to the masthead exposed
The Juno was usually ten to twenty miles
ahead OF the fleet. informing It Of the fog
hanks. the trawlers lights. the state OF the an
chorage. &c. 1t yet remains to be seen what
effect heavy guntlre will have on the appa-
ratus. but II seems possible that the Difficult
ties. II they exist. can be overcome. while the
value Of the system for scouting purposes is
already definitely proved