The Southern herald., 1899-04-07

lu0 Ael"hy
was deserved under the eircum-
stances. II has been known for
several years that Tesla was in
possession Of some electrical secret
whereby be eonld get cOmmuni.
cation between points at consider
able distance from each other, even
| if the points were cut of from sight
Of each other by intervening hills,
woods, etc. But when We say that
this for years has been known, it
has only been known on Tesla'I
own authority. The public have
never been admitted to any prscti.
cal proof for demonstration Ufit.
But here comes this Italian and,
while Tesla is still involved in ex.
perimentatioD, demonstrates that
wireless lvlegrsphy can be made
Of practical use. He tslegraphed
successfully without wires over the
"silver streak" a distance of ,hir.
ty.two miles. And the suggestion
is natural enough that, if be can
telegraph 81 miles without wires,
there is no apparent reason why he
shouldn't be able to telegraph 800
or even 5000 miles without wires
Tesla has said that he will be
able to connect the United States
with Europe by an electric current
having no visible sign; and, after
Marconi's successful feat, there
will be general belief in its feast
bility. But, for the removal Of the
peoples buubt as to Tesls's ability
10 perform the electrical marvel
which be has promised, it is not
Tesla himself who is to be thank.
ed, but Marconi.
And it would rot be astonishing
if, while Tesla is away up in the
clouds, pushing forward from won.
der to wonder, Marconi or sumo
body else with not a 1.-THE OF TeslS's
genius, but with a far hig! Q ell.
dOwmsnt of practical sense. were
to take hold Of Tesla's promise TO
throw an unseen electrical bridge
over the Atlantic, and 10 accom-.
plish the wsrk while Tesla might
still be thinking over it.
Il have rrm"died," says Tesla ,
"the fatal defect in the system
which Marcoui has used in his ex.
periments. With his arrangements,
any sufficiently powerful electr c
forcs in the neighborhood Of the
conductor dis,urbs the signals and
destroys absolutely the value OF the
whole system. The necessary thing
is TO protect these conductors from
outside influences, to insulate them
completely, as it were, | believe
| have done this"
1t would appear that MarcOni
succeeded in insulating his con
ductors, partially at any rate, as
will appear by the following aC.
count Of the young Italians pro.
ceedings:
THE vertical conductor he uses is
the main feature of his system, and be
has found that the distance to which
signals may be sent varies according
to the square Of the length of this con-
ductor. For signaling eigteen miles
he used conductor eighty feet high
and in his application to M. Lockroy
he contended that with a conductor
ia high could establish Communiea
ton between points on opposite side:
of the Strait Of Dover, and even &c
that distance ten miles better.
His experiments have already prov
> ed that when such vertical wire, OF
conductor, is employed, no hindranc,
: to signalingiscaused by hills or othel
] obstacles or by the curvature of tn,
curvature of the earth. One Of hi
: most interesting and valuable exper,.
: ments was the installation fitted III
s last autumn between Osborne House
! Isle of Wight, and the royal yacht, OF
which the Prince of Wales was recup
. Grating after his accident. This CAV
an opportunity to study the effect Q
the intervening hills, and as the zach
b. moved about to various position
A doubts were set at rest as to the pos
sibility of telegraphing across lon
, stretches Of land.
Communication between lightship
!, and shore is a matter of great import
, ance, and the wireless system betwee
South Foreland lighthouse and Eas