The San Francisco call., 1899-10-04
STATION AT NAVESINK HIGHLANDS.

Ing WlnQS IlIeu the Seilio VI TIE Clal-
lenger while the cup defender was
foundering a bit uncertain in the
smooth sea, every breeze was described
The fifth bulletin read thus: sham
rock apparently leading slightly. Both
balloon jibs spilling wind, but Sham
rocks sail is drawing the better Course
clear"
1t required one minute and a quarter
to send this dispatch. yet the first three
words, Shamrock apparently leading
We're received in New York and given
out as a separate bulletin before the
last word. clear" was sent.
Whenever the Marconi bulletins were
posted the public was less than seven
ty-fiYe seconds behind the yachts, and
in many cases less than thirty seconds.
BY unofficial time the Columbia
rounded the first mark at AS and the
Shamrock followed at 1:40:15. The time
of the Columbia had been flashed all
over New York before the Shamrock
had followed.
Aboard the Ponce there was the keen
est apprehension of the work being
done. Indeed, it is not too much to say
that, except at the most critical mo-
ments during the race, more attention
was given to the mysterious chart room
and to Signor Marconi than to the
yachts. Aboard the other excursion
steamers, too, the passengers We're
deeply interested in the wireless re-
ports. Almost without exception the
Ponce was saluted by round of cheers
from every boat it met during the day.
Signor Marconi was compelled to shut
himself off from the curious. whose
good-natured attentions hindered the
work to be accomplished.
In consequence until after the race
had been called off the chart room Of
the Ponce was closed, except to Signor
Marcon1 and his assistants, the report
ers for the Herald and The Call, and
the representatives of the Government
who were present in an unofficial ca
pacity to watch the results accom-
plished by the new system. These gem
tlemen were: Lieutenant Commander
Qualtrough and Lieutenant Blish, rep
reSenting the navy, and Captain L. w
Wildman and Colonel Kinsley of the
signal service department. Mr.. Kinsley
is civilian, but has given much at
tention to the wireless telegraph, and
was engaged to study and report upon
Signor Marconi's achievements He
was more than pleased with the work
of the day, and at it's close, when asked
for an expression of his opinion, said:
My first report must be made to
Captain Squier, but there can be only
one opinion when it is known that 2500
words in bulletins were sent ashore and
the total could have been greatly in
creased and all of this was done with
out any vexatious delay or repetition"
Lieutenant Commander Qualtrough |
was more outspoken. he became an
enthusiast early in the day, and be-
fore nightfall was declaring his be-
lief that the United States Govern
ment would do well to persuade Sig
nor Marconi to install his system in
the Philippines at the earliest date.
eff we could only have had this
last year." said Lieutenant Com
mander Qualtrough, "what a great
thing 1t would have been. When we
landed marines at Guantanamo the
ships were unable to lend assistance
for the reason that the enemy could
not be located, and by firing at ran
lom our own forces would have been
placed in danger. With the aid of
the Marconi system the men ashore
could have directed the fire and all
would have been well.
''The English are prepared now to
10 just what I have outlined. They
end Marconi apparatus ashore with
| landing party and communication
With the ship is never lost. In the
Philippines the system would right
low be Of great service to us. It
would do away with wires, which are
asily cut, and it would enable us to