The Washington times., 1901-11-11

many foreign countries. It's aids to mari
ners are OF worldwide reputation. The
| time has come when II Is absolutely neces-
| sary to provide reasonable accommoda-
| tions for photographic work, or progress
| Will cease. and the high reputation now
established can no longer be malntalned-
I The increase Of the navy demands eNpan-
| sion in all establishments pertaining
! thereto. For this reason the bureau has
| submitted in its estimates sufficient funds
! for the construction Of new and suitable
: building To be devoted exclusively for the
! use of the HyuTugraphlc ONCE Your Ia
vofable recomm, ,udation is earnestly so
| uCitCJ.
! '.Ihe. officers detailed by the Depart
/ ment for duty in the photographic Office
! during tho past year have been inadc-
/ Uuate in number. More are chiefly re
! CURED for the purpose Of preparing sail
| ing directions duty which can not be
| performed by other than naval officers
! Additional officers for this duty are
! earnestly recommended. During the East
| TWO summers a portion of the officers on
( duty In The photographic Office have
/ been detached for temporary duty al the
/ War College, This interleres seriously
| with the progress of work under this
! bureau, ana it is hoped that in future
| the Department may be able to dlscoh-
! tnue the practice
Considerable space is devoted to dis
! cus5ing the work of the United States
Naval Observatory. under the direction
| of Capt. G il. Davis. [. 5. y.
Prof Simpson J. Brown. I. $. n,
Astronomical Director. was & lached
March %. 1891. ana placed on duty else
Where, since which time there has been
no Astronomical Director In consider
alton of the act of Congress, approved
March 3, 1901, providing for the appoint
ment by the President of a board of six
visitors to the Naval Observatory, four
OF which arr to be astronomers Of high
professional standing, and two to be
eminent citizens of the United States. for
the purpose of advising the Department
concerning the work to be undertaken
by the Observatory, the bureau does not
recommend the appointment of an As
trCHomical Director in the future.
Wireless telegraphy, in which the Navy
Department has been more or less inter
ested during the past year, is discussed
at length.
The report adds that an officer of the
bureau recently witnessed the efforts of
various press companies 60 report by
means Of wireless telcgrIphy the progress
of the international yacht races. The SyS-
TENS, II says, in use for that purpose
were those of the Marconi Company. the
American Wireless Telegraph Company
de Forest SYSTEM, and the American
Wireless Telegraph and Telephone Com
pahy. II was clearly shown during the
races that the difficulties of ''interfer-
ence" could not be overcome with the an
paratus used by the aforementioned
companies. When there was no interfer-
ehct, however, generally speaking. the
appliances of all companios worked sue
ceSsfully. The report continues.
There appears to be little doubt that
the Maroon apparatus has been consid-
trabiE improved during the past year.
Claims are made that the difficulty OF in
terference' can be overcome, but the bu-
Iedu IS not aware tha b. any positive eX-
hlbltiOu or demonstration has heeu made
TO this END. Practical improvements have
Deen made in the aerial wire by grounding
IT through the primary Of an induction
coil 1t has been generally stated that
wireless messages have been exchanged
over distance Of lSG miles by the use. Of
the Marconi apparatus; also that reports !
nave passed between British warshps at !
distance Qf 100 miles
Most Of the principal naval powers /
nave adopted some form of wireless tel /
e$raphy for their ships.H Great Britain I
and and Italy use the Marconi system; Ger
ItuSsla the Ducretet system. 1t is be
1eNed, however, from the reports re
celyeu, that none is satisfactory.
Claims Of superiority are made for Ger
tam features adopted 10y some Of tho
American wireless companies For ex-
ample. the DE Forest system includes the
use Of motor generator for transmits
SION. by the aid of which ii is expected |
10 obtain Il mechanical tuning between /
he sending and receiving stations and
nus avoid interference. il is not be
ievcd that this mechanism has passed
oeyond the experimental stage Expert
nents IN the same field for the same pur-
'ose are being conducted by Nikola Tesla
ma the results are awaited with much
interest.
1t does not appear advisable to the
bureau to adopt any particular system /
Il present, or to acquire any more ap-
'&ratus than necessary for purposes of
Instruction. II is clear that 10 system I
las as yet passed beyond the experimental !
tage."
In concluding. the report makes a num-
er OF rec cammeudati0Hs among others. /
nat the number of clerks IN the Bureau I 4
I Equipment be increased: that an as
isit istaht chlef OF bureau be appointed, who
hali have authority TO act in the sb-
ence OF the chief of the bureau. and that I
irser accommodations be allotted for the
york Of the bureau