The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-06-19
Wireless TeIegraphy in
Hawaii a tdCt.
MESSAGE SENT SATURDAY
Executive Building and Keimuki
the Poinis Uf Departure
Hui Receipt.

ed fact In Hawaii on Saturday the In
struments which were brought here
from England on the Australia received
their official tests, and for two hours
messages were sent flying through
space from the Executive building
grounds to the station OF the Inter-isl-
and Telegraph Company at Kaimuld.
In all respects the experiments proved
success. and within three weeks more
the system Is expected to be In active
operation between Honolulu and the Isl
and of Hawaii, so that II will be pOs-
sible to send messages to Hilo direct
or to any point on Molokal Maui or
Lanai.
Crowd Was Small.
The crowd that assembled to witness
the experiments at the Executive but!l-
Ing grounds was rather dlsappolntiugly
small at least to those who had hoped
that a large sum of money might BE-
realized from the sale of the first mes
sage The instruments had been set up
on one of the platforms used In the in
augural ceremonies, which, deprived Of
its legs, had been placed under the trees
opposite the front of the building. Here
early in the morning Manager Cross
and r. Buwden, one Of the experts who
came here to set up the system, had
placed them. long wire stretched
from them to the tip of the flag pole,
hoisted thither by the halyards which
carry the flag. This was the wire that
was to collect the electrical waves sent
from the station at Kaimuh and carry
them down to the instrument below.
1t was shortly after II o'clock before
the instruments were in position, as
there had been difficulty in getting the
batteries from the hold of the Australia,
where they were held I'm quarantine Tor
some time, and they We're still at the
quarantine wharf So an automobile
belonging to T. i. Grant was secured
and brought to the grounds to furnish
the necessary current. At half past II
o'clock Mr.. Bowden had everything pre-
pared, and lifting the key he began To
tick out a message.
The First Message.
Hello! Is anybody out there" This
was the first message to wing its way
across the city by the new system, the
first to be sent by wireless telegraphy
at any point west of the Rocky Mount
aims.
Instantly a bit of tape whose end
had been protruding from one of the
many little polished brass boxes on the
was the answer.
"Mr Gear is here" 1t said. in dots
and dashes intelligible only to the op
orator. rs Mr.. Cross there?"
The two men on the platform cN-
changed congratulatory glances anC
then the messages came thick and fast
and the swapping of the sparks on on,
of the mysterious looking instruments
became continuous and the crowd begaL
to gather and stand gaping all about OF
craning their necks to get better look
at the uncanny machine that could dc
such impossible things.
Success Attained ] lsewf ere.
Wireless telegraphy has been used
the Atlantic coast of America, but yes
terday's experiments We're the first thai
have been given on this side of the
Rocky mountains. A year and n halt
ago the English channel was bridged.
and the distance to which messages
were transmitted then. thirty miles
was considered wonderful. Poles over
100 feet in height We're used at that time
and almost the limit of distance seemed
to have been reached. But improve |
ments have been made since that time, |
and now messages are sent from |
Chelmsford England. to Wimeraux
France, n distance of 100 miles, with |
poles OF the same height as those used
In the first attempt to send messages
across the channel. Last year the sys- |
TEN was used with great success in
the autumn maneuvres of the British |
fleet. one of the great events of the !
year for Englishmen. II was used In !
reporting the international yacht race
last fall. and proved a great success.
Advantages to the Islands.
When the Islands are at last connected |
by the wireless telegraph one of the |
aims that has been striven for for many .
years past Will be accomplished. The |
growing business all over the group has
made some adequate means of quick |
communication from the other Islands
to Honolulu, the clearing house for the
whole group, absolutely necessary, |
Merchants or planters on Hawaii or
Kauai have had heretofore to wait ten
days or two weeks for the filling OF or
ders here that would have meant the
saving of thousands of dollars had they
been able to be filled at once. Up TO the .
present time they have had to send their
orders by the mails on the inter-island
boats, and as these vessels only sailed
at uncertain or widely separated inter-
walls. the delays would sometimes he
most eXasperating.
The plan of laying cables has often
Deen thought of and once attempted.
out not with any success and the pres
ent scheme is the first to offer any
tangible solution Of the problem of in
ter-islahd communication. Twelve years
ago company IN which T.. O. Hall &
Son We're the chief movers decided to
lay cable between here and Hawaii.
man named Bartholomew was en-
gagged, who had had some experience
In laying cables on the Atlantic coast
Copper wire was brought here and the
cable was made In this city. The
steamer Kaimiloa was used as the cable
ship. and the Oahu end was landed nj
Hanauma bay. Thence the wire was
laid to the lighthouse on Molokal. Along
the length OF that Island the wire was
strung ON poles to Kalauaahua, and
from there a cable was stretched 10
Maui. II was carried over this Island
also on poles, and from Kaupo, Maui
a cable was laid to Mahukona, on Ha.
wall.
But one message was sent over this
line. and then the cable between Oahu
ana Molokai parted. II was repaired