The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-30

VIM nave 1lOl yet INFORMED themselves
on the subject, it consists of what are
called electromagnetic waves or vibra-
lions for the purpose of transmitting mes
sages through the medium of ether, that
subtle and imponderable medium which
pe1Vades all space. The spark dis
charge of a leyden jar furnishes a con-
Venlent means of producing such vibra-
lions. 1t was shown first by a mathemat-
1cai investigation by Lord Kelvin and aft
erWard it was demonstrated by actual ex-
pertinent that the spark discharge is an
oscillating phenomenon, the electrical
charge surging to and fro like the swing
Ing OF pendulum and thus giving rise
to electric waves, which travel outward
in all directions through space Mr.. Mar
conf declares that these waves pass
through all bodies, and, indeed, through
all matter 1t is well known that If a
tuning fork is put in vibration a second
tuning fork in the neighborhood of the
hrst VIII take up the note, provided 1t is
tuned to exactly the same pitch. But IL
the forks are not tuned to the same pitch
then the second fork will remain silent.
A like sympathy obtains between Mr..
Marcoms receiving and transmitting ap-
paratus, with the result that the vfbra.
tons induced at one end are exactly taxi
en- up at the other end and read off by
means of the well-known Morse code.
AT THE JAMESTOWN REGATTA.
With this instrument Mr.. Marconi made
ready to demonstrate the possibility of
telegraphing without wires by following
the boats at the Kingstown regatta and
flashing the news of the various races to
the signal station, whence 1t was to be
sent around the world. What took place
on that occasion is graphically described
by the scientists who were present as
follows: The young inventor took his
place beside the large induction coll and
we watched with keen interest while he
adjusted the brass knobs and began to
manipulate the key. There was some
thing very striking in Mr.. MarconPs at
titude as he stood with his hand upon
the key, sending wave after wave of cleo
trio oscillation in ordered succession
across the bay of Dublin He stood there
with certain simple dignity, quiet
pride In his own control of a powerful
force, which suggested a great musician
conducting the performance of a master
piece of his own composing
The sound of the instrument differed
very greatly from the familiar clicking
noise Of the ordinary telegraph. The
sharp crack of the instantaneous flash
winch produced the dot upon the receiv-
Ing instrument at Kingstown and the
rattle of the longer discharge which regis
tered dash recalled some memory to
my mind which I could not identify until
someone beside me remarked, 1T sounds
like a naval engagement Then I knew
that L was reminded of an occasion when
L took part in some military maneuvers
at Aldershot and that the noise Of the
instrument recalled the crack Of the rife
and the rattle of the machine gun.
When the first trial message to the
shore was concluded Mr.. Marconi turned
to the receiving instrument and we all
bent forward eagerly as the strip of pa
per began to unroll from the recorder
Hardly had an inch of the paper come
through than the dots and dashes began,
to appear upon it. There is the answer
said Mr. Marconi quietly and the in
strument spelt out the word red a code
word meaning that the message had
reached the receiving station and was
perfectly ineligible. Then we looked at
each other; there was something uncanny
about it.
No sooner were we fully alive to the
extraordinary fact that it was possible
without connecting wires, to commune
cate with a station which was miles away
and quite invisible to us than we began
to send silly messages, such as to request
the man in charge of the Kingston sta
ton to be sure and keep sober and not
take too many 'whisky-and-sodas Play
ing in this way with the great invention
probably enabled us to realize better the
means at our command than we should
have done If the mail boat, which passed
US during the afternoon, had gone
aground on the Kish bank, and we had
been able to avert a catastrophe by send
ing the news ashore. What really i'm
pressed US most of all was the fact that
by depressing key at Kingstown 1t was
possible to ring a bell on the Flying
Huntress' lying out in the neighborhood
of the kish light. 1t is on the same prin-
cfple that one is more impressed by see
ing a steam hammer crack nut than by
seeing it crush ponderous mass of ore''
THE METHOD EMPLOYED.
The land end of the system of wireless
reporting of the race was at the resi-
dence of the harbor master of Kings
town. Here were duplicates of the in
struments used on board the telegraph
boat From these instruments a wire
was carried in a long vertical line to the
top of a mast forty feet in height which
had been erected for the purpose on the
hill behind. The messages were received
with perfect regularity and without the
slightest hitch or difficulty, the tape flow
ing out with the stream Of news describ-
ing the passing of the ships, rot IL the
night, but in the glorious sunlight far
out to sea. The reporting of the race
was in every way a complete success, and
this success will without doubt be re-
peated when the Columbia and the Sham
4OCh SPA eau l41S11 SeAlS AOA Tic SASdl
race here.
The longest distance over which mes
sages have been sent by wireless telegra-
ply at present is thirty-four miles, but
there is no reason why this distance
should not be exceeded According to
those who have studied the question, it
depends simply upon the power of the
transmitter and the adjustment of the
apparatus. The practical possibilities Of
this invention are SO many that it is diff
fcult to enumerate them all. At a glance
ore sees that they are many. For COM
municating with ships at sea 1t is obvi-
ously of Erst-rate Importance. Soon we
may expect that all lighthouse stations
will be equipped with transmitting and
receiving apparatus. In a case of fog
the possibility of being able TO communi-
cate with land will greatly lessen the
danger of accident. For naval signaling
the system has obvious advantages and
we may expect the feet to be shortly
equipped with the required instruments.
For military purposes, also, wireless tel
egraphy is of the highest Importance.
In the operation of warfare it is a vital
element that cooperating columns should
be able to keep in touch with each other.
In a Ranking attack often the success Of
the day turns on this very point. It -