Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-11-23
SAFE " on TIE OCEAN
Value Of Wireless Telegraphy
on Transatlantic Liners.
FAR BETTER THAN FLAG SIGNALS

j FAB RETIEk 1HAN fhAG slim ALI
How ships VIII BE Kept I'm Toucl
with Each other and with tn,
shore Details oe the Agreement
Between Lloyds ana the harcon
Company. .5.. 5,.5 Il
The details OF the agreement betWeeI
the Marcom Internal ional Marino
Communicates company and LloydI
are given In the current number Of TIT
London Electrician. By the terms o.
this agreement the Marcom system o.
wireless telegraphy Is placed upon Il
secure and enduring footing for n1er
camille marine signaling and intercom
nuntcation between ships and coast
signal stations. AS Is well known, ur
to the advent Of the Marconi system
communications between passing ships
at sea and between vessels and the
Lloyds signal stations have been by
dag signals Against this system
which has been In use for centuries
many objections have been made. Dis
lance was always drawback, as the
range of vision even on a clear day
is, limited, and in foggy or stormy
weather or in the night no signaling
except the "pilot fare'' and the signal
Of distress is inavogue. Further than
this, 1t has often been necessary for a
vessel to go out Of her course to. sig
nal coast stations, thus losing valuable
time and often running into danger In
+ the effort to get near enough to the sta
ton to give and answer messages.
Besides this, the system Of flags is
cumbersome, and only a few phrases
can be sent back and forth.
Now that the Marconi system has
been proved success it seems strange
that there has not been more haste in
taking 1t up on all merchant vessels.
OF course the question of monopoly
will arise. for, according to the agree
ment, Lloyds will employ no other
system Of wireless telegraphy than
that Of the Marconi company for the.
next fourteen years, but as the Morse
system and the telephone were monop-
olies it should be no drawback. They
will receive commercial messages at
their signal stations from any vessel
supplied with the Marconi apparatus
and will also send messages to any
such vessel, but they will receive or
transmit no wireless telegraph COM
munication whatever where a vessel is
equipped with apparatus not supplied
by the Marconi company. BY this
agreement the monopoly is established,
for 1t will be necessary for vessels de-
string to communicate with shore in
that way to get that particular appara-
tus. 1t would be interesting to know
what would be done in the case OF sig
nails Of distress, but it is more than
likely that this great possibility Of the !
system will not stand in the way OF !.
and that the stations win
promptly report any vessel which may
be in difficulties whether or not she
has the Marconi apparatus on board.
The agreement further provides that
whenever center for commercial
wireless telegraphy with ships would !
be advisable the existing Lloyds sta
ions at these points shall be worked !
IN the Marconi system, or If no station
Exists within about twenty miles new
Lloyds station will be built and of
course be placed in ordinary telegraph
c communication with the British
,ostofice lines. Arrangements have
been made by which Atlantic liners 1T
ed with Marconi apparatus will be
supplied with all the latest important !
lews as soon as they come within
bout a hundred miles of the coast Of
America orlthe British islands.
The rental system which has been in
orce with the Marconi company will !
lot be used under the agreement, but
tariff. system will take its place. Sig
lal stations will be allowed free use
f. the apparatus for the ordinary re
eipt of Lloyds signals, and vessels
ignaling to one another are permitted
certain number of service messages,
ut for All commercial messages a
barge of sixpence per word in addi-
ion to all land charges will be made.
here can be little doubt that businesss
len on steamers, finding that they can
communicate with land hundred
liles out at sea, viii be prone to use
ne system and that the dissemination
important news on the vessel is
kelly to promote private messages.
With this system in vogue, it seems
y If there should be a decided i'm
roEement IN the security oftocean yoyr
geS Vessels equipped with the wire
go Instruments may almost always be.
/ touch with other ships on transat-
ntic voyages, and any trouble can al
ace be mashed through the air.. com
funication being possible for at least
hundred miles. Under these circuIn-
ancesl any steamship that fioatsE
'ound disabled and lost to the world
ould do SO simply because the owners
the vessel have neglected to equip
= with the wireless system and thus
lied to take one of the most ordinary
ecantions against trouble and worry.
verdue vessels will be able to tell
II, -. - a. e = - 4