New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-18
VIEW NAVAL POSSIBILITIES.

The use of Hertz waves as means OF com
munication between warships has promised 10
lead to more or less radical changes IN naval
practice One, indeed was effected by the jap
anese two years ago. They malhlalheo
blockade of Port Arthur with vessels that were
sixty or seventy miles away. Others OF an
equally striking character may be looked Ior
when the subject has been more cafeIuiIy
studied by tacticians and when more data are
placed at their disposal. To no nation III the
world will such Improvements have a greater
nractica1 vsIue than to the United States, and
the authorities at Washington seem to be thor
oughly alive to that fact.
A recent dispatch to The Tribune outlined a
series of experiments which are about 10 De IN
dertaken under American auspices ana lrom
which it should be feasible to draw helpful de-
auctions. The floating drydock Dewey is now
on the Atlantic, on the way to the Pmhpplnes.
Rear Admiral Brownson has been instructed TO
follow it. and to put himself in touch both with
the commander of the towing squadron and
with home coast stations. The execution Of the
nlan seems to demand the posting of Admiral
Rrovnson's four cruisers q straight line be
tween the Dewey and some convenient wireless
station in New England. Effectively to cover the
interval. it would seem to be necessary 10 ar
range them at equal intervals from each other
from the drydock and from the land station
which is selected. The repetition of messages
by each ship in the series to the next one would
also be requisite. The Dewey was belleved 70
he about eighteen hundred miles from Ports
mouth N H. on wednesday, and TO be travel
ling one hundred miles day. 1t might be con-
siderably more than two thousand miles away
before the chain of communication was estab-
lished and there would then be five gaps, be-
tween four hundred and five hundred miles In
length, to be spanned. To accomplish even so
much as that would be great achievement, and
the further the Dewey goes the more difficult
the feat must become. 1t does not appear from
The TTibune's dispatch how long the expert
ments are to continue, but it may be taken for
granted that they will be abandoned when it
is no longer possible to maintain communica-
ton over the whole interval between the tow
ing expedition and New-England, and this may
happen before Gibraltar is reached.
The most important questions to be determined
would seem to relate to the maximum distance
that can be covered by the Hertz wave appa-
ratus on the West Virginia and her sister
cruisers. This will. it can be foreseen, be ex-
ceedingly variable; for daylight has a paralyz-
ing effect on wireless telegraphy. Messages can
be sent twice as far at night as in bright sun
light 1t will be desirable, therefore, to note
exactly what can be accomplished under both
the most favorable and the most unfavorable
conditions that are to be expected normally.
There is some reason to think that the instru-
ments in service on Admiral Brownson's vessels
can communicate over wider intervals than
those on transatlantic steamships. With the
apparatus which the latter carry it is unusual
to send more than two hundred miles. With
more powerful outfit the range would, of course,
be increased, but at present this limit is rarely
exceeded How much better Admiral Brown
sons equipment is cannot Vet he told. While
the President was on his way home from New
Orleans a few months ago messages from the
flagship which were intended for Key West
were picked up at much more remote points
In instances they were heard nine hundred or
one thousand miles off These experiences are
not to be regarded as representative. If IN
actual service messages can be transmitted half
as far there will be occasion for profound salts
faction, if not for surprise. Five hundred miles,
it will be remembered, is full days sail for
twenty-knot vessel. Ability to span this with
certainty may revoutionize many OF the meth
cd Of