Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-17

SageS across the Atlantic at not more
than 10 cents word and government
and press messages at not more than
| cents a word. In time the rate will
probably be lowered so that it will be
no more costly to send a message from
New York to London than it now is to
send the same message from New York
to Philadelphia.
1T must not be forgotten that since
we have been sending messages across
the ocean from Glace Bay to Poldhu
neither our wireless stations at Pen
Zance and Nantucket nor the twenty
one ships with wireless apparatus ply
ing the Atlantic have been disturbed
by these messages. The truth is that
when an operator of the wireless tele-
graph apparatus receives some blind
signal due to a mere elemental dis
turbance he is apt to conclude that he
has received part of secret code mes
sage from a Marconi station.
There is nothing in this talk about
outside stations reading our messages
During my experimental work 1 have
used untuned apparatus a good deal
of the time, and it is possible that mes
sages sent in that way. without the
slightest attempt or desire to make
them secret, have been picked up out
side. That was in nearby work ON the
outside. But no transatlantic message
sent from Glace Bay has been picked
up
But how about telegraphing over
land? Are there no earth currents in
the way, no complications due to the
existing system of wire telegraphy?"
1T is as easy to telegraph without
wires overland as oversee. L can send
wireless messages from New York to
San Francisco as easily as from Glace
Bay to Poldhu. We are now arranging |
to establish Il wireless system to con- |
meet Alaska with the United States |
and British Columbia. We shall also |
send messages when desirable from the |
station here to our new wireless sta |
ton on Cape Cod"
"Have you found no indications that |
there is a limit to the distance of wire |
less communication!
None. 1t is simply a question of in
creasing the power of the apparatus
Then you will be able to send mes
sages from the Pacific coast TO Japan
and Gilman
Undoubtedly; but eager as 1 am to
try messages across the Pacific ocean /
must complete my transatlantic system
first. The messages which have been
communicated from Glace Bay to Pold-
hu have required only a part of the
power of which this station is capable.
There is space between the four towers
for four sets of the wires from which
electric vibrations are propelled to the
nf far ~ |
used only one set of fifty wires. There
is room for three more sets. My prob
lem now is to find out exactly how lit
tie power is needed on each side of the
ocean to transmit messages. The send
ing of messages having been reduced to
q simple and practical basis, both from
the standpoint of cost and speed, it is
important to know by actual tests the
amount of electrical energy necessary
to signal clearly to any given distance.
1.-The station at Poldhu is less power
full than this station. For that reason
we have confined our work to sending
messages from America to England
only. When L go to POldhu, the power
Of that station will be increased to the
degree necessary for sending, and then
we shall be ready to accept messages
from the public"
docs light or darkness make any
difference to wireless ocean teleg-
raphy:'
Yes, but it is only question of
power. The electric vibrations cross
ing the Atlantic are something like 80
per cent stronger at night than in the
daytime
1.-The heat of the sun probably?' i,
mo, it is not heat. 1t is light.
There is one use for our ocean sys-
-em which will appeal to the travelling
public. Our wireless apparatus on ships
has been working perfectly for some
Tine. Every Cunard steamer, for in
stance, is equipped.
''It viii be quite easy to send every ]
lay from this Glace Bay station con-
lensed bulletin of news to each steam s
er crossing the Atlantic. This daily J
news service can be posted up for the I
of the passengers. A reg {
liar news service can be supplied to S
ships al sea at cost of 10 cents I
word. I
1.-THE principal news events of the
world can be furnished to all vessels
.quipped with our wireless apparatus
It a cost averaging perhaps So a day.
IF officers of ships which do not pay
or the news service think they can
lick up our messages, let them try it"
His system, Mr.. Marconi feels, rep
esents not only universal intercommu-
lication, but also represents prices
which even the poorest can pay. AL
hough the starting price will be 10
ents word for ordinary messages
nd cents word for press messages,
t is probable that before long the rates
will drop 10 point at which it will be
'ossible for the poor immigrant in
Jew York or Chicago to communicate
RELY with his relatives in Ireland,
Italy or Russia y
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