New-York tribune., 1901-04-28
REPORTING STEAMSHIPS.
\ PROJECT FOR UTILIZING WIRELESS
TELEGRAPHY AT FASTNET.

TELEGRAPHY AT FASTNET.
simultaneously with the report that the
CLnard Steamship Company Will equip its pas
scnser vessels with wireless Geographic instru-
ments comes a demand, by correspondent Of
The London Times" fer a change in the method
Of reporting Liveroool steamers from the United
States when they approach the Irish coast. At
the present time ii is customary for the liners
to run up within signalling distance Of Brow
Head. spur Of Mizzrn Head. the southVestern-
most point Of the Emerald Isle. There is situ-
ated one Of the Lloyds stations and thence a
telegram is sent by the Morse system To queens
town. eighty or one hundred miles away. giving
about four hours notice TO prepare for taking
off the mails
Now. about seven miles to th- southeast If
Brow Head is Fastnet, a bold pinnacle of rock
rising from the sea and surmountrd by light
house Owing to the presence Of other rocks ana
slets in this neighhorhood. the steamship officers
are instructed not t. pass between Fastnet and
the mainland. but ia keep To the southwark Of
it. Consequently a saving Of time and trouble
would lie effected + Fastn t were made the signal
station instead Of Brow Head. The agitation OF
the question viii probably lead TO the transfer.
\ Lloyds agent will doubtless be posted at
Fastnet before many months, but permission
must be secured from the authorities in charge
OF the lighthouse service.
But inasmuch as there is no telegraph cable
between Fastnet and the mainland. it is sug-
gested that Marconi apparatus be installed
there This would be employed primarily to
s. nd messages ashore. but it could also be used
in exchanging signals with passing ships If the
latter We're similarly equipped. II the Cunard
Line adopts the scheme. ii is probable that the
other Liverpool steamships viii too. Already
wireless telegraphv is used in reporting incom-
ing ships in the Bristol Channel, and at the
Skcrres near Anglesea, and experiments are
now in progress between Rathn Island and the
north coast of Ireland
The proposed wireless teIeeraphic station at
Fastnet would be.of no value to the American
Line steamers which run to Southampton,
the Havre, Antwerp Bremen and Hamburg
ships. These usually approach the European
coast the Lizard or the Scly Islands some
seventy ty-fv- miles further south than Ireland
While no definite announcement has been made
to that effect. it seems probable that an install
lation like that at Fastnet VIII be set up on the
Scily Islands before many years
The experiments made by the North German
Lloyd Company a year ago last winter near the
European terminus of their route. were con
Quoted Borkum Island at the mouth of the
Ems. Messages we're received at that point
from vessels fifty miles away and altogether out
| of sight. 1t would probably be found advan-
| tageous to report North German Lloyd ships
from both Scilly and BOrkum
Inasmuch as all vessels from Northern Europe
/ Of whatever line. run rather close to Nantucket
that island offers what to be the most ad-
yantageous site for a wireless telegraph station
Oh this side of the Atlantic for the benefit of in
/ coming shipping. Mr. Marconi announced sew
elaI weeks ago that one Of the objects which he
had in view in visiting America at the present
time was to promote a project of that kind OF
| course such Il station would be of no value until
/ the steamers equipped with Instruments
y uLALEI