The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-09-01
WIRELESS REACHES NOME
1 IN THE FAR NORTH.

SEATTLE, August 9.-Telegraphic
communication with Nome was COM
peted by the first wireless message
across Norton sound from Nome to St
Michael, lO1 miles, thence by telegraph
to Seattle The message was received
by General A. w. Greedy, chief of the
United States signal corps in this city
yesterday afternoon from Captain l..
S. Wildman in charge of the wireless
system at Nome. General Greedy said
the message was confidential and he
could not give it out but stated that it
shows the wireless system across Nor
ton sound to be working perfectly and
that with few days the line viii be
open to the public.
The message Was transmitted lO7 miles
across Norton sound to st. Michael,
from Safety harbor, the station chosen
fourteen miles out of Nome, because of
its advantageous location. 1t was then
placed upon the United States signal
corps wire up the Yukon, over which
it travelled Lila miles to Fort Egbert
on the boundary line of Yukon territory
thence it was transferred to the Cana
dian line and was carried down to Ash
croft, on the Canadian Pacific railroad;
thence over the Postal 400 miles to Seat
tie.
The work of installation has been in
progress for some time under Captain
| Wildman's direction, and many expert
ments have been made. The final sue
cess of the undertaking is attributed by
| General Greedy largely to the scientific
/ knowledge Of Captain Wildman, who
/ has himself suggested and perfected
may improvements in wireless trans
mission since the system was first de-
| vised. With the opening of the line
Nome is finally placed in permanent te-
/ legraphic connection with the outside
world after the failure of the cable sys-
I TEN across Norton sound.
! Coupled with this intelligence, Cen
eral Greedy stated that he also received
Il message from the cableship Burnside
yesterday, stating that the vessel laid
! 12S miles of cable between Sunday noon
and O'Clock Monday morning, an ex-
ordinary feat, indicating that the wea-
Their Is of the best. In the absence of
accidents or storms the Burnside should
| be in Seattle by Friday to take the last
installment of the Sitka cable. and the
| line should be completed by August 20
! 10 IIllS CITY. OIlS one more lluh W III
then be required to place Seattle in tele-
graphic communication by an all-Ame-
rican route with every important set
tlement in Alaska. That is the Sitka-
Valdez cable, which may be laid this
| fall. General Greedy said:
Mind, 1 do not promise this. Gable
| laying is one of the most difficult of
mechanical tasks. Many accidents are
encountered and when a break occurs
much time is often lost. A cable ship
| has been known to go out from Nova
/ Scotia on the Atlantic lines and return
1 in ninety days without picking up the
| break. The Burnside has had un-
usually good luck, although it undoubt-
| eddy seems to the public that she has
suffered remarkable delays. She has,
| in fact, met fewer accidents than are
usual in cable laying.
IF the Burnside suffers no accidents
she should bring the Sitka cable into
! Seattle by the Goth of this month. In
! that case | hope to have her soon at
work on the Sitka-Valdez cable, and If
| that should be laid without serious In
references it should be finished before
! the end of 1904 Seattle will then be
connected by wire with all parts OF
! Alaska by all-American lines"
General Greedy returned to Seattle
yesterday afternoon on the City of To
pka from Skagway. He went NORTH
about two weeks ago, to keep in touch