The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-29
Marconi's
Cape Cod
Station
Especial Correspondence. J
1. Observation-Disclosures

tSp9Clai correspondence
Wellfieet, Mass, Jan. 10.-Fhs little
Cape Cod town Is just now q center OF
observation for not only the people Of
Cape Cod, but also for the general pub
lie, inasmuch as Marconi the king of
wireless telcgraphy, Is here testing tho
apparatus installed In the Marconi sta
ton which has recently been completed.
The station Is located about four miles
from the ancient 10 Holbrook tavern,
la Wellheet, and one and half miles
from the railway depot In South Well
feet. It stands on stretch of land the
highest for miles down or up the Cape.
the site having been chosen by Mar
eoni himself, who visited Wellfieet In
May, 1901, while exploring Cape Cod to
find suitable spot for station. 1t Is
perhaps more than 100 feet above sea
level, and since the station has been
constructed mariners have found the
four lofty towers very useful as land.
marks.
As completed, the Wellfect structure
bears strong resemblance to the wire
less depots ut Table Head and ut POI
dhu. Cornwall. but the station here was
built only after some strenuous work
and In the face of difficulties not eXpe-
rienced at the places just named. The
nearest dwelling house Is mile away,
and the wind, which has an uninter-
rupted sweep across this stretch Of
land often rises to the violence of a
hurricane blowing the sand through
the air SO fiercely that blood will be
drawn from the faces of those who are
unfortunate enough to be exposed TO
the combined assaults of wind and
sand.
The region, moreover, Is as desolate
as one could well find anywhere. There
il not enough fertility in the soil to al
low tree to grow to ii respectable
height. and the stretch that Is not who'll
ly sand Is covered with Il growth of
wispish grass. an odd creeping vine
and stunted pines. But Marconi deemed
it the best possible place from which to
conduct Ills operations and made light
of the fact that the station would at all
times be exposed to the power of the
wind.
|. Accordingly, soon after he had To-
Gated site. gang of men started to
dig foundations for the high masts of
Oregon pine which were to hold aloff
the wires OF the system. These masts,
like the present towers, were more
than 200 feet high. and the old resi-
dents of Wellfeet prophesied that they
would not last long when a good old
fashioned storm should make its mp
pearance. The prophets We're right.
One cold December day Of the same
year the people of Wellfieet awoke to
find that OF the twenty spars erected
but three were standing. and these
looked ready to topple over ut any
time
UndaHnted. the inventor gave orders
That a fresh start should be made.
Fifteen carloads of Oregon pine were
required for the four great towers that
were to replace the wrecked 1nasts.
They were firmly set on foundations Of
concrete and braced by strong wire
cables. But despite their apparent VI
rility the prophets of evil croaked again,
predicting that II would not be long
before they would go the way the
masts had gone.
SO far these birds of lii omen have
found their predictions unverified, and
| since their completion the towers have