Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-02
SAVES THE CITY
FROM UTTER RUIN
SPLENDID Achievement OF
WIRELESS SYSTEM
Mayors Of California cities and Ad-
mlraI Goodrich Commend De
Forest Operator for Timely
Messages

In lasting OmmendatiOn OIL tne Woi
of the De Forest wireless telegraph
system in saving San Francisco from
absolute ruin from fire and earthquake
and in saving the lives Of the thousands
OF starving men, women and children,
q special dispatch has been filed with
the war department from operators on
the battleships in the San Francisco
harbor, in which the De Forest system
is given almost entire credit for fur
nishing the means of communication
between city and war department and
thus bringing order frfom chaos. The
first news to be received by the heavy
fleet Of war vessels lying off San Diego
at the time of the disaster came from
the De Forest station at San Diego,
with M. j. Cline In charge as operator.
On the morning of April is the Pa
cific squadron, under command Of Rear
Admiral c. F. Goodrich of the battle
ship Chicago, sailed out of San Diego
harbor bound for Long Beach and
thence by leisurely trips to Mare is
land, San Francisco.
The squadron had scarcely swung
clear of the harbor when Mayor Sehon
of San Diego put in an appearance at
the wireless telegraph station Of the
De Forest system at San Diego.
In dozen words he informed Operat-
of Cline of the disaster at San Francis
co, and gave him word that the Pacific
squadron was wanted at the scene of
the disaster.
And 1t was owing to the OPERATORS
clever work and to the sure and un-
failing messages from the De Forest
system that the Chicago received the
news of the disaster and the great
fleet on It's errand of mercy and relief,
swept clear for the northern channel
and with full steam up dashed for
the distressed city.
From every point on the coast the
messages of the De Forest system kept
count with the messages from the bat
tleships.
From Long Beach and Los Angeles
the telegraphic current whizzed through
the air. so that upon it's arrival at
Mare island the fleet was in perfect
touch with the condition Of affairs at
San Francisco.
And had 1t not been for the De For
est system the fleet would have arrived
at Long Beach several hours late, and
there for the first time, and probably
too late to do much good, would have
learned Of the disaster.
| AS 1t was, the fleet arrived twenty
| five hours ahead of time at San Fran
CISCO
Once there the work of the wireless
| system was called into full play.
| Following is portion Of the report
from the flagship to show the work
of the De Forest system on that MEM
orable occasion:
After getting into port, the noise
of dynamiting the buildings and the
| cracking of the flames certainly sound
| ed anything but pleasant. The dyna-
mite when set off from shore would
shake the ship from stem to stern.
Some thousands of messages We're
handled by the wireless during these
stirring times and many of them were
of the most vital Importance concern
ing the commissary department of the
army.
This was probably the only means
General Funston had of communicating
with the war department and with the
| navy department.
And following are the letters of COM
mendation for Operator Cline and the
De Forest system:
City and County of San Francisco.
Mayors Office,
Executive Department.
| San Francisco, Cal, Aug 26, 1906.
| Mr. M. j. Cline, Operator De Forest
! Wireless Tel. Co., Los Angeles, Cal.
Dear Sir: / understand through Ad-
| nniral Goodrich, commanding the Pa
| cific squadron, that by your timely
wireless message to him you saved
at least twenty-four hours in his trip
to San Francisco, during our recent
calamity. I wish, therefore, on be-
half fthe. citizens of San Francisco,
| for your valuable aid rendered upon
| April 1S,
Hoping may be of service to you
| at some future date, / remain,
| Yours very truly,
| r. e. SCHMITZ, Mayor.