The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-12
SIGNAL CORPS EXPERIMENT.
WIRELESS FEIEGRAFHY RROyBl
4 MODIFIED SUCCESS.
SoDeRseAe the Present Dystena
fer Csnnereial Purposes, bat IL
Has Peculiar Field Of Csefuaness.

WASHINGTON. May r.-Gen Greedy
today made the Arsf authoritative state
ment - TO the progress made IN wireless
teaegrapay under the auspices Of the Unit
ed states signal corps- The important con-
cinsion Ii reached b. Gen. Greedy that the
wireless system 10 not likely TO supplant
the ordinary method Of feiegraphic com
munication. The results % far obtained
have been uncertain
Gen GfeeIy's statement u ~ follows:
Since the announcement Of the tests in
space teieeraphy by Senior Aarconi two
years ago. the subject has been under con.
ssieration by the signal corps of the army
and recently experiments have been begun
with the object of thoroughly testing the
value OF their means Of communication
for military and other governmental pur-
poseA
Special apparatus has been designed
and constructed for these tests which have
Already shown Sufficient promise to war
rant further ana systematic trials. In
view OF the great public interest and In
order TO facilitate experiments by other
scientists In the United States, II 10
deemed proper 10 put forth this statement
OF operations to the present time. In the
experiments thus far. several forms OF
fransm.sters for the generation OF Hert-
sian waves have been used and much
promise has been realized from the use
OF large alternating current coil in oil
as u generator, inStead OF the ordinary
Rhumkorn coil. employed BY Aarconi-
This coli b energ1xed by three horse
power rotary transformer. furnishing l0
volts alternating potential. and this ar
rangsments make a very powerful and ef-
fc.ent source Of Hertsian radiation. The
former receiver used has been substantial
iy the Brankey 'coherer.' discovered In
1891. and the signals transmitted are re-
corded upon a receiving tape.
The extransmitter has been mounted
upon the west elevation OF the state. war
and navy building. utilizing the present
wooden flag pole az the vertical wire for
the transm;tter. The receiver was first
placed at the old naval observatory
grounds. about three-1uartens Of a mite
distant, and later moved TO the signal
corps station at Fort Meyer. Va
During the experiments constant COM
munica.ion by Photograph and dag be-
tween the transmitting and receiving sta
tons has been kept up by the trained men
OF the regular signal corps. and this has
men.ing Signals. letters and words have
been transmitted ard received between
those stations. but the great felieacy and
constant adjustment required In the pres
ent receiver have made the transmission
OF regular messages as yet unreliable and
uncertain. The presence Of large build
tnEs and large masses OF iron and metal
necessarily present In cities makes such
msnts OF this character. The distance
over which signals may be transmitted by
given apparatus Is q function OF the
height Of the vertical wire used on either
end and this has naturally suggested the
use OF small gas balloons. sUch as have al
ready been used for signal and other pur-
poses by the signal corT1 supply OF
these balloons has been obtained and Will
be used for this purpose In the near fu-
ture
That there Is a field OF usefulness in
space teiegraphy Is undou5ted, but that
II will supplant to a material extent the
use Of wire for ordinary commercial tel
egraphy IN not believed. Its value In for
connection between lighthouses and light
ships az sea. and to replace ordinary flag
should prove invaluable since no kind OF
weather. nor fog. darkness nor storm,
avail 10 affect ita use.
The use OF metal redectors TO augment
and direct the radiation 10 particular
points has already met with partial sue
cess and should be thoroughly Investigate
ed At present the radiation proceeds from
the transmitter In all directions. and the
same message can he received AT any
point within the proper radius at which
receiver Is placed. A satisfactory direct
ing reflector and a receiver OF the proper
electrical capacity or. In other words. tun-
ed 20 the vibrations Of the particular trans
natter would make a great advance in
space telegraphy and do much toward the
extension OF its Held OF practical useful
ness.
while secrecy CT transmission is among
the probabilities. the present stage Of cx-
pertinent does not Justify i,s positive pre-
4jrt{nY