Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-30

that borders SO closely on the marvel
Gus and occult; but he was led to and
assisted in his work by the discoveries
of other scientists, who were, so to
speak, the forerunners of his wonder
full performance. The discovery of
certain and peculiar movements of
ether, known now as Herr waves, sug-
gested the possibilities of arresting
such movements and utilizing them
for the grand purpose in view. One
discovery would lead to another until
1T dawned upon the minds of investi-
gators that these waves were all per-
vasiye, radiating from the seat of dis
turbance to all points, upward, down.
ward, laterally and in all directions, and
that their limit of energy was un-
known. 1t seemed an impossible task,
but the next thing to do was to arrest
this energy whether at near or dis
tant point, SO that it's movements might
convey intelligence and we'll under
stood signals at a receiving station. 1t
is impossible for layman in science
to explain to the general reader how
an instrument was designed that is
sensitive to the waves produced at the
dispatching station and yet is indif-
ferent to other disturbances. This,
however, is the roughly drawn theory
of wireless telegraphy. The operation
of telegraphing consists of an electri-
cal disturbance at the dispatching sta
ton, from which the operator projects
the waves of ether at intervals, and
the movement is arrested or detected
by the "coherer" at the receiving sta
ton. The intervals are the signals
and these are recorded in the same
manner that the ordinary telegraph
operator notes the sounds made at in
tervals by his instrument.
Thus is made possible the astound-
ing performance that now is known
as wireless telegraphy through the
Marconi system. 1t. is interesting to
observe how quietly the discovery has
been brought to light and how quietly
it Is received by the world that has
been educated to the point of accept
ing such wonderful discovery in full
belief of its practicability. 1t would
not have been prudent for an inventor
or scientist to have brought such a
discovery to light among the people
of the eighteenth century. There was
then no ocean cable to test the verify
of communication, nor even swift 60
ing steamers to establish facts; the
imperfect and slow methods of con-
yeying intelligence on sailing vessels,
requiring weeks and months to make
the passage between distant lands,
would have rendered verification diff
cult and before the truth could have
been ascertained the inventor would
probably have been hanged as wiz
ard or placed in chains as a lunatic.
The process of development in the field
VI WiouOu dlu huOWlGQS6 has U0GIt
slow and gradual and each discovery
has prepared the way for something
else that is greater. The twentieth
century, however, has the advantage
of being in possession of some knowl-
edge of the most powerful forces in
nature and is using them for high pur-
poses. The people of all classes have
become sufficiently enlightened to
throw off the yoke of superstition an.
are quite well prepared for still great
er revelations of the power of mind
over matter.
II With these thoughts in view, and
realizing what has been achieved in
the domain of science and invention
during the past one hundred years,
what win the next few years bring
forth? The field is our own; there
are no restraints or bounds to limit
the proper exercise of human endea-
vor in utilizing the forces that SO far
have yielded to the intelligent appli-
cation of the laws that govern them.