The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-11-28

MARCONI STATION AT GLACE BAY, CAPE
BRETON.
command every resource which the sci
entific and industrial world can give
him.
Marconi's new station has some
unique features, notably four steel tow
ers rising to height of 215 feet above
the surface of the headland These
are constructed of bridge steel, each
tower consisting of four columns con-
nocted by latticework of metal and
further strengthened by ropes of wire
anchored to the ground. The towers
are so placed as to form the corners of
a square, the sides of which are 210
feet long, every tower being connected
with it's neighbor by horizontal bridge
of wire. From this runs the electrical
equipment upon which so much de-
ponds.
Fifty copper cables reach from each
connecting wire to the operating house,
erected in the center of the hollow
square formed by the towers. Every
cable is composed of seven strands an
eighth of an inch in diameter, tightly
! twisted together Seen from a short
distance these cables look to be single
wires, but in reality there are $50
wires on a side, or 1 400 wires in all.
The object of using many fine strands
| instead of a few large rods is possibly
to secure a larger amount of surface
for a given amount of copper. The
solitary vertical wire" of the original
! Marconi experiments is thus found to
be enormously multiplied, the effect be-
| ing to develop longer Herr waves. More
satisfactory results should consequent
ly be obtained by the wireless expert.
As the fifty cables of each of the four
groups go downward they converge a
little toward the center of the four
sided structure. The lower ends, there
fore, are arranged along the sides of
square much smaller than that formed
by their supports at the top. All ter
inmate, of course, in the operating
house. This is a long, low, narrow
structure, guarded night and day by
watchmen whose especial business it
is to keep inquisitive visitors from pry-
ing into Marconi's secrets. In addition
to steam engines and dynamos, the
building contains a quantity of other
apparatus. the secret of which is known
only to Marconi and a few of the di-
rectors of his company. The engines
represent 115 horsepower and are con-
nected to what is known as an alter
mating current machine which will
produce the electric spark necessary
T. bn D+l, ~, t, nd
duce the conditions favorable for trans
hitting messages.
As his receiving instrument it is ex-
pected that MarcOni will continue for
the present to use his now famous CO.
herer although it is known that he has
invented as a substitute for it mag
netic detecter which is said to be more
satisfactory in some respects. When
he desires to make sure that the mes
sages sent by his system are not in
tercepted or otherwise interfered with,
he will doubtless make use of the tun-
ing system, the rights to which he pur-
chased last spring from the inventor,
Professor NJ l. Pupin of New York.
There are other novel points in the
electrical equipment of this expensive
wireless telegraphy station. In place
of the old fashioned induction coil
transformers will be used.
As a matter of fact. the station here
is almost a duplicate of that built
some time ago at Cape Cod, though it
contains many improvements which
have been devised by the inventor
since the Cape Cod station was erected.
The station at Poldhu, in Cornwall,
has also been modelled on lines similar
to the two structures in this coun-
try. Originally Poldhu boosted mere
ly a great circle of poles in place of
the steel towers, but a high wind
played havoc with these and when the
work of reconstruction was begun
Marconi decided to copy the stations
on this side of the Atlantic. The re-
suit. as everybody knows, has been
great increase in the efficiency Of the
service.
In the United States the Marconi
Telegraph Company of Amer
lea has been organized with a capital
Of millions, to control all the American
business, including, Of course. Cuba,
Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philip
pines. Companies have also been
formed in England and Belgium.
II. A. BRUCE.