New-York tribune., 1901-05-12
u4RCONrs LATEST Project.

Preliminary steps are being taken In England
10 extend the usefulness of wireless telegraphy
in Il new direction. Most of the applications of
Marconi's invention made hitherto have been
to governmental service, military or civil The
commercial use Of the system is at present
limited 10 reporting Incoming steamships, and Is
In its earliest infancy. The latest project is an
Outgrowth of this class Of work, and, though
hardly susceptible OF extensive development, 1t
is sure 10 supplement existing means Of COM
munication in an important manner.
What Marcon-Or rather the corporation
which has q monopoly OF his rights in Great
Britain--nOw proposes Is To send commercial
and social messages from passengers on
steamship 10 the land hours before the vessel
can reach her nearest stopping place. For this
purpose the same apparatus would be employed
as for reporting a ship TO her owners and the
postal authorities. Already the Marconi COM
pany has five stations on the coast OF the
United Kingdom for announcing arrivals, and 1t
Is planning 10 add 10 that number in the near
future The government has been asked 10
grant the necessary permission for operating Il
wireless telegraphic system within three miles
of shore and also 10 extend its own land lines
10 the new stations Compliance with these
requests may be confidently expected The
atlantic lines with Marconl instruments Is al
ready assured. And the establishment of one
or two wireless telegraphic stations on this side
OF the ocean-say, at Nantucket and Montauk-
will probably occur within the next year or
two Thus the proposed service can be rem
dered at this end of the route as well as at the
other
When the promised facilities are once avail
able II will be possible for an eastward bound
traveller to dispatch a message At Fastnet Light
al least three hours before lie could do so at
Queenstown and communication viii be opened
AT the Lizard eight or ten hours before arriVAI
at Havre or southampton. In like manner Mon
tauk would anticipate the telegraph offices on
In. Steamship piers In North River by six or
eight hours and Nantucket would add about
80 per cent 10 this gain. Dispatches could be
sent from a vessel both while approaching the
station and afte- passing IL. If the effective
radius OF the instruments was twenty -hve miles,
therefore they would be serviceable for at least
two hours This ought TO be ample time. al
though MarcOnis system does not admit OF
rapid transmission. However, II the business
were 10 outgrow that limit IL would be easy To
put in more powerful apparatus or to duplicate
the plant For that matter. the land stations
ought 10 b. prepared to take care OF more than
a single ship at a time.
practice which Is certain 10 spring up IA
soon as the one lust outlined comes into vogue
Il the exchange OF tidings by vessels meeting in
midocean. Events like the death of monarch
or the result of a national election may thus be
learned days before one reaches his destination
When this usage becomes common. and extends
IN incidents OF less consequence, ID might De-
come desirable and practicable to print little
newspaper on shipboard. The telegraph ais
matches secured IN the manner suggested would
be supplemented by reports Of events occurring
ON the vessel itself Such publication ought
TO command high prices and ready sale anu
invite profitable class Of advertising Ihe
Tribune has filed no copyright on this Idea