New-York tribune., 1903-01-16
EXCHANGING NEWS AT SEA.

The anxiety created by the st. Louis's tardl-
ness emphasizes the value of wireless teieg-
raphy and indicates one of the uses TO WHICH
that art will probably be applied in the not dlS-
tant future When all the passenger stedni-
ships of the leading transatlantic lines are
equipped with the necessary instruments they
will no able to launch messages into space reia-
five TO anv accident that may have befallen
them These tidings will be picked up by otner
vessels going in the same or opposite dlrectlon
long before they come in sight. with tour sail
ing days a week on each side Of the ocean, 1t IS
scarcely possible for an interval of more than
five hundred or six hundred miles to exist De-
tween ships. Indeed, considering the fact tndI
several vessels sometimes depart the same day.
and that their speed is very unequal, A much
more favorable distribution prevails most OF
the time. Hence so long as steamer which
had become disabled remained in the track
commonly pursued she could count on prompt
relief if the emergency were serious, and could
give reassuring reports if the embarrassment
were t6iiing.
Flag signals are exchanged only when pass
inc shiDs can see each other, and visibility
Under favorable circumstances is a matter or
only five or ten miles. The range of wireless
telecraphy is at present limited at sea to one
hundred or one hundred and fifty miles, out
even with no extension this would be OF I'M
mense service in time of trouble. Help coulu
he summoned from ships that might not other-
wise be discovered. These latter could tnen
send news ashore at the Lizard, Glace Bay or
Nantucket and thus replace uncertainty with
certainty On the eastward voyage not more
than a few hours would be thus saved, per-
hans but coming westward an ocean liner
could deliver her tidings two or three days
earlier than # she waited until reaching Sandy
Hook.
Another outgrowth Of the exchange OF mes
sages at sea was predicted by The Tribune
nearly two years ago. It was then suggested
that newspapers might be published on ship
board by vessels provided with wireless teie-
graph apparatus That idea is likely to b" re-
allied. at least experimentally, within the neXt
few weeks, it is said. AS yet only small
! amount of news can be thus picked up, because
only a small number of steamships are yet
equipped with instruments However, there is
a compensating advantage. Though the trans
mitters on such vessels as the Lucanla and
Philadelphia can send little more than one hun
dred miles, the receivers will take from any
distance. 1t would be possible TO reach them
from Poldhu or Glace Bay during any part of
the trip. Thus they could keep in touch with the
world at all times, if it were deemed desirable
to attempt such communication, although that
will hardly be attempted until Marconi's trans
oceanic service is in good running order.
With the larger development of wireless
telegraphy at sea two difficulties will be en-
. countered which have already been foreseen
but have not yet proved serious. Unless all
steamships are equipped with the same invent
ors apparatus, or unless there is an agreement
between the various steamship lines to recog-
nize each others signals, the exchange of mes
sages will not be so complete as it should be.
In time this obstacle will doubtless disappear,
though. Governmental interposition may be
expected if amicable adjustment is not ef-
fected soon. Then, again, with only a single
receiver-and an untuned one at that-there is
sure to be confusion when two or three other
ships or ship and land station send signals
simultaneously. The duplication of equipment
and the adoption of the tuning system for one
or both sets of instruments may, and probably
will overcome this trouble. In their laboratory
tests Marconi and other inventors have salts
fed themselves on that point. Up to date the
world has had no practical demonstration Of the
possibility, but it ought not to be long in COM
ing