The Washington times., 1902-07-27
Telegraph and Telephone
Connections Through
the Earth.
WILL NOT BE COSTLY
Secrets of Armstrong; and OIling's In
venticns Contained in Transmitter
and Receiver-Rcsuits CT Recent Ex-
periments.


LONDON, July &c. - The "Westmin-
ster Gazette" today announced that a
company had been formed with nom
inal capital Of e175. 600. which has been
privately subscribed, for the purpose OF
operating the Armstrong -Orling sys-
TEN of wireless telegraphy. The paper
saws it is informed that this company
will begin operations on a large scale
almost Immediately. Two factories will
be erected, one in Buckinghamshfre,
England, and one in France. at places
which have already been selected.
Everything in connection with the new
scheme, down to an illustrated cata-
logue and price list. is ready. The Ca
zette" says:
"A perrIsal of an advance proof of the
catalogue suggests the possibility that
everyone will be enabled within six
months to buy for a moderate price a
handy wireless telegraph and telephone
apparatus for private installation and
use.
Makes Use of Ground.
1T will be the simplest matter to
connect all the rooms in house or to
connect house with the city. Patents
Lave been taken out by the Armstrong
orling people, whose system differs III
many important respects from that OF
Signor Marconi.
This development, 1t is said, Is the
outcome OF experiments made at Hug
endenden in the autumn of 1901, when
electrical impulses were sent through
the ground without wires and without
the high poles used by Marconi. Among
Ibe experiments was one on the steering
gear of torpedo lying at a distance of
300 yards in ditch filled with water
The torpedo was moved at will to the
right or left by pressing or releasing
the leve. of a small transmitter into
which the electrical current of a small
battery had been conducted. In a sim
liar manner an electric lamp raised on
a high pole far out in the fields was
lighted and extinguished. In all cases
the electric current was generated by an
ordinary Bunson carbon and zinc bat
terry, and then led through a transmit
ter which was kept in case no larger
than a good-sized cigar box into the
ground
The Secret Workings.
Thence the impulses speedily travel
ed to their destination, where the re-
ceiver was waiting. In both the trans
mitter and received are embedded
the secrets of Armstrong; and Or
ling's inventions. Last autumn one or
two miles seemed to be the limits of
telegraphing or telephoning through the
ground. Since then Armstrong and Or
ling, with eleven Swedish assistants have
enormously increased the power OF the
t-acsmitter and the sensitiveness of the
receiver
The Westminster Gazette" says It is
informed now that they can telegraph
or telephone fully five miles, and by the
time the company is in working order
they expect to be prepared to sell an
apparatus with which everyone will be
able to telegraph or telephone anywhere
within at least twenty miles. The
ground is always used as a conductor.
All that is needed is to connect the
telephones in a room with the trans
mitter or receiver by means of a short
wire with the nearest gas or water pipe,
which will carry the current to and
from the earth. The walls of houses
do not form any obstacle. When tele-
graphing at a greater distance than
twenty miles the Armstrong Orling Com
pany is still forced to use the air as a
conductor of the shooting electrical
sparks from station to station.
Poles and Relays.
This requires high poles at both ends,
but they claim that these poles will be
only one-tenth the height of those used
by Signor Marconi in order to be effec-
tual for the same distance. They also
claim that they are able TO send one
hundred letters in the same time that
It takes Marconi to send six.
They say their relays" or an ap-
pliance used for catching or receiving
the electrical impulse shot through the
air from station to station, are far more
sensitive than any ever invented, and is
fifty times more sensitive than Thomp-
sons siphon recorder. 1t is so sensi-
tive that a dry battery consisting of
piece of zinc OF microscopic size and
an infinitesimal piece of carbon will work
1t. In test with Marconi's siemens
relay. the latter, with eight volts, re-
corded electrical impulses at ! ,699 miles.
nc iil5 ptOplt Clalfn tn3t
their relay" with only one volt. work
ed even at 1929 miles.
Prices of Apparatus
According TO advance proofs of the
price list, the charge for transmitters
for sending Morse signals short dis
tances viii be e10. and for long dis
tances els. in addition TO a royalty OF
fl per year A complete telephone
outfit for short distances viii cost G 1 |
a year. and a royalty OF CT.
The prices of the relays are left blank |