The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-19
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY AND CABLE
BUILDING -. '

Congressman Corliss' insistence that
the government should build a trans
Pacific cable at once raises the question
as to what bearing the possibilities of
trans oceanic wireless telegraphy should
legitimately have on such an undertaking,
whether by the government or corpor
alton. A private corporation has already
let contracts for a cable from San Fran
cisco to Honolulu, which is intended to be
the first link of a cable to Manila. 1t
has been reported that the chief promoter
of this private undertaking has said that
II he had known in advance how success
full Marconi was to be in his recent exper-
iments in transmitting signals between
England and New Foundland he would not
have let the contracts. A writer in Nc
Clure's Magazine, who has made spe-
cial study Of Marconi's work is quite en-
thusiastic over the prospects for the
even across oceans.
" It's success and commercial utility for
short distances have already been proved.
The Marconi company that receives mes
sages for telegraphing to steamers after
they have left port is already making
money. Wireless systems are being in
stalled for signaling purposes in ali the
navies of the world. I. ,r-t ! e..
The Australia and China Cable COM
pany, which is laying cable from Van
couver, B. c., to Australia for the British
government at cost of $10,000,0 900, does
not share the fears Of the America-Phil-
ippines line. The Marquis of Tweedale,
the president of this company recently
declared that, in his opinion, there was
no danger that wireless telegraphy would
ever. displace long-distance cables. The
marquis even went so far as to urge that
every encouragement be given to Mr..
Marconi to perfect his system, on the
ground that in so far as it shall prove
successful, short Of trans-oceanic COM
munication, it will stimulate the regular
cable business. j. W. Clapperton, traffic
manager Of the Comemrcial Gable COM
pany, does not expect long distance wire
less telegraphy to be commercially sue
cessful and believes in encouraging the
development of the system, because it
pec1ally in land transmission. L. A. Lur-
rienne, manager of the French Gable
company, is even doubtful whether Mar
conf really received signals from Corn
wall, and thinks 1t possible that his CO.
herer was affected by ground current.
telegraphy an insuperable obstacle to its
successful competition with the cable A
wireless system has been installed in
some of the French possessions in Africa,
but transmission is very slow. A recent
meeting of English scientists agreed with
Mr.. Lurrienne. {.
At the same time it is to be noted that
no cable enterprise has been started by
private company since Marconi's New
Foundland experiment. The discoverel
himself, while admitting that the rate OF
transmission is much slower than by
cable, expects to see wireless telegraphy
on a commercial basis, and for long dis
tances, within a very short time.
But the possibilities of wireless teleg.
raphy are sufficiently vast and the time
SO near when we shall know whether
(through further experiments by Mar
comb trans-oceanic communication BY
this means is capable of becoming com.
mercially successful in the near future
that it would be well for the United
States TO keep out and let the private
company go ahead with it's line to the
Philippines. In any event, as this com
pany gets no monopoly and no franchise
and guarantees the government cheaI
service, it looks like a good business
course for the government not to under
take at present to build cable on Its
own account
Now, really, of course nobody be.