New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-04
FESSENDEN's "WAVE DETECTER."

The accounts recently published concerning
the efficiency of the wireless telegraph receiver
of Professor Fessenden naturally raise the queS-
ton whether it is likely to be used elsewhere
than by the government bureau to which he is
attached The interest evinced by army and
navy officials who have been permitted to wit
ness tests Of the apparatus proves that they are
alert to other possibilities than the transmits
sion Of weather reports by land and sea The
public is also curious to know whether ipdividu-
ais and corporations not connected with the
government in any way will be free TO adopt
the device in question as 4 substitute for other
receivers.
Both the inventor and the Weather Bureau
have been rather reticent about this matter
hitherto. They have also refraned from de
scribng the instrument Information has
been supplied in regard TO results rather
than means. 1t is known for instance. that
more words can be received in the course of
n minute with the Fessenden apparatus than
with the Brandy cOherer. The latter permits
the transmission of only twelve or fifteen, while
the former will handle a message if sent several
times more rapidly. still greater merit of the
new instrument is its constituencies. Data neces-
sary for final Judgment are yet lacking. but
it was calculated after one experiment that COM
muncatOn was effected with only about one
five-hundredth of the current needed 10 influ-
ence a coherer. Careful observation in the
future may show that this estimate is extrava-
CANT but there can now be little doubt that the
Fessenden receiver will pick up n Hertz wave
message at a very much greater distance from
the transmitter than the COherer will. Thus. the
government not only occupies an Independent
position in the choice Of systems of wireless
telegrapby, but is To be congratulated on having
fostered the improvement of the art
Before Professor Fessenden left his chair in
the University of Western Pennsylvania for
Washington he expressed the belief that the
telephone could be used advantageously as a
ceiver. There was nothing particularly novel
in that suggestion. because Dolbear had tried
the experiment and It had long been known that
that instrument was exceptionally sensitive.
Some of the dispatches about recent tests al
Roanoke mention the use Of telephone, and IL
has been predicted that one of the probable APP
plications Of the Fessenden system will be 10
wireless telephony. II, then, the Weather Blu
reau expert employs nothing but the ordinary
Bell receiver. on which the patent expired sew
eral years ago, any one is at liberty 10 initiate
him without taking out license. There is rea-
son TO believe. however. that the wave detecter
though used I'm combination with the telephone
is a distinct device. Professor Fessenden has
the best Of reasons for not talking about II AZ
present. The patents for which he has applied
have not yet been issued. In some countries.
notably England, the publication Of n descrip-
ton precludes the allowance Of a patent AS
soon as his applications are granted though. he
will doubtless tell the world all it wants TO
know and listen TO the overtures OF capital as
we'll as of government officials. Patents OF
course, will give him exclusive rights to the use
Of the wave detecter, and he would be foolish
not to reap such pecuniary rewards as he may
He has probably not made the investment of
two or three years of experiment and excep-
tional gifts for glory alone