The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-11
BUSINESS.

What wild dreams animated the Wizard Marconi
as he toiled for sound transmission may be only
dimly guessed by the bewildercd public. which, di-
vided betwixt doubt and awe, is more occupied with
attempts at comprehending the results already
achieved than with speculations. The public mind,
though long advised of Marconi's object and fully
prepared for its attainment, is slow to grasp the fact
that sound need not follow a wire. but may leap
through space from continent to continent.
In common belief. sound transmission is welded to
the wire. and time will be required to substitute for
the wire 4 continuous wave or vibration. And no
wonder that unscientifc minds are tardily receptive,
since the thought is a large one. Conception of space
is denied to the human intelligence-even to Mar
conis-and to grasp the plan of sending vibrations
almost through infnitude involves an utmost ap-
proach TO the mentally impossible.
But, like steam, electricity, the telegraph, tee-
phone, monograph and every other marvellous revela-
ton Of science, Marconi's wireless system will soon
grow commonplace in thought. Even now it has lost
sensational novelty; it is simply unique. and has the
force of fxity and conviction. Busy intelligence has
already begun forecasting its developments.
That wireless telegraphy will revolutionize life at
sea may be assumed beyond peradventure. What
this signifies to the world is scarcely more at present
than a problem for the imagination. A glance at
the globe in the schoolroom reveals that a very
small proportion thereof is land, and that the
hemispheres are little more than dividing islands
amid an immensely of oceans. The sea-bue surface
Of the globe is traversed by dotted red lines repre-
senting ship lines, infinitely more various and extern
sive than the network Of railways traversing the
continents. Were a pin stuck in the marine portion
Of the globe to mark each individual vessel, the
sphere would fairly bristle.
Each tiny vessel represents a considerable and
complete community in %itself-the ever dull statistics
tell us that 4 vast number of earth's inhabitants con
stantly reside at sea.
The vessel of the future will be ncomplet without
its wireless plant. Every inhabitant of the earth,
whether on sea or land. will he instantly accessible
to every other.
Daily newspapers printed in midocean, giving
simultaneously bulletins from London, Paris and New
York. are things of the immediate future. These
have already been planned.
The midocean stock-ticker is in the line of early
development. Brokers' offices on %shipboard may do
business At once in the Bourse. the London and New
York exchanges. The fnancier may cross the sea.
transacting his New York business without 4 break:
or may cruise in his private yacht, with a clerical
force, and manage the home office from afar. per
Marconigrsms.
Naval warfare of the future will, logically. be
revolutionized by the system of wireless signals.
Information of the enemy's position. The element
victory.
Shipwrecks will be more easily averted. and rescue
will be facilitated. The sum total of loss of life at
sea should be greatly reduced.
Perfected wireless telegraphy, in short, will large