The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1900-09-04
TELEpHoNINa
Via Mother Earth Without Wires
System Being Perfected.

SYBIom DUNG GeIASStSu'
In little workshop not hun.
bred feet away from independence
Hall, in Philadelphia, young in
ventor has devised and is fast per-
iecting a system Of telephony where
by the human voice, as we'll as the
signals OF the Morse alphabet, lie
transmitted through earth and air
without the use OF wires.
Here, almost at the very spot
where rare old Ben Franklin con-
Quoted his experiments with his
kite and Leyden jar, practical
demonstration Of wireless telephony
was given last Tuesday aud a stock
company organized to exploit the
system named after Professor A.
| Frederick Collins, an electric eugin-
eer, formerly of Chicago, but now
residing in Philadelphia. The Col
Inns plan is quite distinct from the
Marconi system. This coherer ia a
very delicate device, that must be
adjusted to the minutest nicely aud
is very liable to become deranged.
Out OF door tests have been made
under favorable and unfavorable
conditions, and apparently the new
wireless telephony and telegrapby
is success Though still in crude
state, the verify OF the principle
that terrestrial waves OF electricity
are as inductiye as the ether waves
utilized by Marconi. Dolbear and
others seems to have been proved.
Larger machines are to be built at
ouce, and tests of the most rigid
character will follow.
! Professor Collins is not yet thirty
FIVE, but he has been worker OF no
mean sort in the field of electrical
endeavor for a good many years.
After taking the scientific course at
Chicago University he joined the
Thompson Houston Electric Com.
pany and did great deal OF expert
mental work for them. In his spare
moments he studied telephony.
When Marconi's system of wireless
telegraph was brought out, several
years ago, Professor Collins read q
description OF it 10 an English en-
cheering journal.
He promptly set to work to con-
struct similar apparatus to him
self and succeeded in duplicating
Marconi's feats on a small scale.
These Instruments, by the way, are
now in his laboratory at No. 1872
South SIKH street, Philadelphia.
In response to request for a not
too technical account OF his system
for the benefit OF the lay reader,
Professor Collins dictated the fol-
lowing:
at is really too soon to set myself
up as an Edison or Tesla, and l do
not want to pose as anything else
than student OF telephony. Since
Marconi perfected his system men
everywhere have been studying the
problem OF wireless communica ton
OF articulate sounds. Such success
as l may have attained is due
in no small degree to my wife. Since
our marriage, three years ago, abe
has constantly encouraged me, aud
by her knowledge OF mathematics
and interest in telephony has aided
me with practical suggestions, and
unfailipg sympathy.
"In the first place it should be
said that while the earth is a poor
conductor OF electricity the cur
rents projected through IL meet with
no such resistance as the ether
waves utilized by Marconi. The
network OF telephone, telegraph and
electric light wires, trolley wires,
tall steel skeleton structures, and
the hundred and one obstacles that
divert and disrupt air currents are
not encountered under ground.
Again, some strata of earth are
pretty good conductors OF electri-
CITY, while others are ou-conduct-