New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-20
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.
CONGRESS WILL BE ASKED TO MAKE AN
APPROPRIATION.

.nvANrAGEs AND DISADVANTAGES OF
MARcoNrs SYSTEM POINTED OUT
ITS VALUE IN WARTIME
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
| Washington, Nov 19.-Rear Admiral BRAD
| ford says he will ask Congress TO authorize
further trial of the Marconi system under cohoi-
tons of actual practice in the Navy. Whne 'ne
| system has it's shortcomings and In the tests
| on the New-York and the Massachusetts ~ sea
| operated disappointingly in comparison WIN all
| that naval officers had been led to expect from
| accounts of it's success abroad and at the yacht
races IL certainly demo nstrated its great value
| as an auxiliary equipment to warships IN squad
| ron work and as mearn, of extending the outer
| line of defence many miles beyond the opuihafy
| limits Of vision at present utilized
The members of the Naval Board wnlch
| conducted the trials satisfied that the
| skilful inventor will find means speedily
| 10 overcome the manifest deficiencies In his
| apparatus and their opinion is shared by
the higher Naval Bureau officials. although
the Army experts continue to be scepti-
| cal regarding Marconis methods and are try
ing 10 find other solutions OF the wireless teleg-
| raphv problem. While Admiral Bradford Is
| convinced that the system as now operaaeo Will
| be gradually and in all probability rapidly I'M
| proved he is reasonably satisfied that even IN
it's present condition 1t ought to be installed on
| a large number of vessels. where It's value
| would be indsputable in maintaining free COM
| ,nun,cation between warships In proximity to
| each other. though too far apart to commlni-
| cate readily by visible signals. MaTconis prop
| osition to the Navy Department involves an
| advance payment of $4,000 and an annual
| royalty of at least $4,000 after the first year
! He stipulates that twenty sets OF apparatus Tor
| which he is to be paid $500 for each set shall
| he taken. and that a rental of $500 year
| for each set shall be paid as long as the sys-
tenn Is utilized. He promises to give to the
| Navy the benefit Of all the improvements ne
makes and to replace the instruments by later
| patterns as often as may be necessary for their
more efficient operation but the Navy Will have
| 90 nav for all repajrs and meet the actual cost
| OF all changes
| The ROYALTY portion Of the contract he pro-
| noses Is similar to that of the telephone rental
plan. As no such amount Of money is available
for meeting such expenses, the necessity arises
for submitting the matter to Congress.
THE SYSTEMS WORTH.
On the New-York- Massachusetts cruising
trials Marconi had two types of apparatus, one
representing material advances over the other
The favorable report of the Trial Board was
| based on the performance of the better Of these
| instruments, except where the reverse was
specifically noted. Among the weaknesse;
enumerated in the Boards conclusions were th'
| following:
| The greatest distance OF communication witt
Navesink was five and one-half miles. Com
munication may be interrupted altogether wher
, | tall buildings with iron framing Intervene; TIT
rapidity is not greater than twelve words
minute for skilled operators the shock from thu
sending coil may be quite severe and even dan
gerous to a person with weak heart: the send
ing instrument and wire would inJuriously affec
a compass If placed near it, and most importan
e rational messages are rehdeLeu IhPosspIe pe e
. tween two stations II another station within
their influences sends urintelligible or disturb
t ing signals The liability to accident from light
e ming was not ascertaned, nor was the effect o
s extreme dampness fully determined.
The most obvious advantages of the system
', as 1t now operates were as follows:
- Ships in squadron can signal in rain. fog
:, darkness and in a heavy seaway the aceurac.
= Of messages and the secrecy Of cipher message
o. are assured between large ships the range
70 at least thirty-fve miles; between torpedo boat
a ii is at least seven miles. and the system
~ adapted TO the Geographic determination OF diff
=. ferences Of longitude in surveying.
RANGE SHOWN BY TRIALS
70 The Boards declaration concerning range
IS | of the utmost importance. If no further i'm
I'D provements in that regard are ever made. III
ID system must soon be recognized by naval eS
. perts as absolutely indispensable to warshiI
sc cooperating upon any duty. and especially
1t. coast defence 1t was found, the Board says:
al al Between large ships (height OF masts 100 an
- ., 14O feet above the quarterdeck) the range is
. | least thirty-fye sea miles al sea and ne-ha
- | mile or less when tall buildings with ste
Nv | frames interfere. Between a large ship (heigl
D of mast lao feeD and torpedo boat fheight
80 mast rs feet across open water. signals can
A.. | read I'D to seven miles on the torpedo boat ar
~ eight and half miles the ship,
y, | Marconi declares that the new instrumen
of which ne would supply 10 the Navy would e.
3. able a torpedo boat TO send message mo
- | than fifteen miles TO a large ship, although q
re | length Of its mast would not permit to rece
lg a message from a station more than sew
"a miles away With these conditions realized.
ke ship with high mast, II located sixteen mil
nd off Nayesnk could receive news fifteen mil
. beyond at sea, from a torpedo boat patrolling
the lookout for an enemy, and give 10 the hon
feet in the lower harbor and the forts "
hours notice OF the hostile approach. WI
such q system, when General Skaters arm
was starting from Tampa. the report OF a Spa
ish squadron In the Bahama Channel wou
never have started. To Boston would have be-
spared frequent alarms In the dead Of nigh
and the flagship New-York could have e.
night. and have avoided the unfortunate e
pedient Of going to Siboney on July 3.