Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-27

MareOni's Great Triumph and what
siEnihes.
Nav York Trihnne.

~ NNkuAhGNa
New York Tribune.
The interchange Of messages between the
old world and the new now authoritatively
announced, was definitely foreshadowed
last February while Marconi was on board
the steamship Philadelphia. His previous
experiments on Signal Hill, Newfound-
land. last December, however convincing
to him individually. we're unsatisfactory
as a public demonstration. It is not GUS
tomary to accept the announcement Of a
scientific discovery or achievement on the
strength Of any one mans word. Self
deception Is so common an experience
among reputable inventors and lnvestiga-
tors that corroboratIon is absolutely nee
essary. This was Afforded by the self
registering instruments and the testimony
Of the ships officers in Marconi's later
tests while himself crossing the ocean.
The public was then fully justified in
believing that messages had been received
1850 miles from Poldhu and signals at a
distance Of 2,10O.
In order to attain his recent success
Marconi has overcome several obstacles,
real or imaginary, which beset his earlier
EFFORTS. Neither high mountains nor the
bullying of the earth's surface between
stations interfere now with transmission
The paralyzing influence Of daylight upon
communication can be overcome by using
more power at the sending station. Marked
improvements, too, have been made In the
receiver. Marconi's own magnetic detec-
tor will handle forty words a minute,
whereas the Brandy and Solari coherers
could take only fifteen. 1t is not certain
how effectually he will deal with two
other embarrassments. Some Of the Poldhu
messages which we're addressed to Carlo
Alberto last summer were picked up by
people for whom they were not intended.
Perhaps the sending instruments had not
then been F'tuned." The virtues Of the
means which Marconi proposes to employ
for i~nsuring secrecy have not yet been
fully ascertained. Nor does the public
know how well he can protect his COM
munication from malicious interruption and
confusion. Still, his past progress in
spires confidence concerning these remain
ing defects in the system. 1t is not to be
supposed that the methods and apparatus
used during the last few days represent
the highest stage of development in the
art.
Whatever be the imperfection in wireless
telegraphy as now practiced, one cannot but
admire the manner in which II has been
brought to It's present degree OF perfection
by Marconi. others had thought vaguely
Of the same thing, and had even devised ap-
paratus having the same object in view.
But they either abandoned the idea tenn
porarily or failed to work out a solution of
the dificulties which they encountered. So
far as practical results are concerned, Mar
conf is really the pioneer In wireless teleg-
raphy. He has gone ahead where others
have halted. He has worked while others
talked. He has been peculiarly modest and
reticent, rarely talking except when at
tackled. So far as the public can Judge, he
has borne himself in q manly fashion to-
ward all rivals. To the suggestion tina
the marquis of Solari has been unfairly
dealt with there are several effective an
swers. One is furnished by the many hon
ors bestowed on Marconi by the king OF
Italy during the last few months. and an
other was afforded by the fact that Solari
accompanied Marconi all last sum-
mer n fall on board Carlo Alberto.
AS for priority of invention" IL anyone
has anticipated the young Anglo-Italian the
courts will no doubt ascertain the fact In
due time. Until the world has new light on
the subject 1t will regard him as a gentle
man as we'll as a genius. and accord him
the chief glory Of making transoceanie
wireless telegraphy possible.