The San Francisco call., 1904-08-08
LVreIess IN the Wdr.

According to the advices from the
operators of the De Forest wireless
system in Chinese and Japanese wa
ters, there is an unending train of
wireless signals going on day and
night in that vicinity. The signals of
the Russians and the japanese, and
/ especially the latter, can be heard at
ali hours, these nations, in common
with all others, using in telegraphy a
modification of the Morse telegraph
alphabet. The telegraph alphabet
used by the Russians contains thirty
/ characters; that of the Japanese is
said TO contain forty characters, while
/ the American Morse contains but
twenty-six characters. But, apart
from the difference in the alphabets,
the belligerents use cipher codes,
which render theif communica tons
unintelligible to outsiders. even if they
were otherwise readable.
The De Forest wireless station in
North China from which the wireless
war news is cabled to Europe is sit
1 uated on a cliff somewhat east of Wei
haiwei. The height of the vertical
wire used is about $50 feet, which is
also the height of the station above
sea level The Chinese steamship Hal
mum. which was chartered by the Lon
don Times for newsgathering by wire
less telegraphy, has a vertical wire
about ninety-six feet high. The trans
mitting and receiving apparatus en-
plOyed at Weihaiwei and on the Hal
mum are practically identical and the
/ oTerating rooms virtually correspond
to those of the Panama and Port
Limon stations. Messages were freely
sent TO and from the boat at distances
ranging from ten to one hundred and
fifty miles. The signals could be
heard at greater distances from the
boat 10 the shore than contrawise, the
rolling of the boat at times interfer-
ing with the reception of signals. At
the time of Russia's announcement
that correspondents employing wire
less telegraphy in the war zone would
be treated as spies, the Haimun was
on the Korean coast and those on
board were promptly informed of the
interesting situation by wireless teleg-
raphy.
This vessel has had several interest
ing experiences. One day last April,
when the Haimun was within twelve
miles Of Port Arthur and eighty-five
miles from Weihaiwei, on the lookout
for war news, she was held up by a
shot across her bows from the Russian
warship Bayan. Not knowing what
mighrhappen, Captain James, the cor
respondent Of the London Times on the
Haimun, sent a wireless dispatch to
they were about to be boarded by Off
GERS of the Russian battleship Bayan.
If you do not hear from US in three
hours" said the message, notify COM
missioner, captain Of British gunboat
Leviathan and London Times" There
was some natural anxiety to know if
the message had been received, but
presently all anxiety was relieved by
the welcome signal 20. K" from the
Weihaiwei operator. In a short time a
reply came stating that the commits
sioner and the commander of the Brit
ish fleet at Weihaiwei had been prop
erly notified and that from the window
of the operating-room il could be seen
that the feet was getting up steam
"and that" added the operator, lis nc
dream" Two Russian officers boarded
the Haimun inspected the wireless ap-
paratus and took copy of the last
message sent. IN the midst of their in
spection the officers were hurriedly re-
called to the Bayan by apparently ex-
cited signals from that ship which inn
mediately returned to Port Arthur II
was surmised by those on the Haimun
as an explanation of their hasty re-
turn, that the Russians had detected
japanese wireless signals. On the other
hand, it is quite possible that the Ba-
yan's wireless operator may also have
received the messages sent from the
Haimun and from Weihaiwei relative
to the boarding of the Haimun, and
this, for prudential reasons, may have
occasioned the hasty recall Of the
boarding officers. On this point it NAV
be noted that while the ether itself
transmits all forms of electric waves
impartially, it is quite within the prob
abilities that some characteristic in the
method of transmission, or some pe-
culiarity of code used by one vessel OF
feet, might after a little experience be
quickly recognized by other fleets and
in this way the presence of friend OF
enemy could be recognized without a
regular message.-From Wireless Tel
egraphy of To-Day" by William Ma
Yer Jr., in the American Monthly Re.
view of Reviews for August.
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