The Meeker herald., 1906-03-24
WAR NEWS BY WIRELESS.
xsstine Advsnturss Of an 1ngN6h
Newspaper Correspondent
q Port Arthur.

II was An exciting story which Capt
Lionel James. London Times war
correspondent. told at the Society ol
Arts few nights ago. 1t showed how
useful . servant Of Journalism wireless
telsgraphy may be made In warfare.
and 1t Also provided instances Of the
dangers incurred by the correspondent
In making sss Of 1t, says the Londoo
Mail.
Capt James. giving . history Of hi
experiences while sending news from
the Times dispatch boat by means q
the wireless system. described how he
witnessed . naval attack on Port Ar
thur. and how he found his boat In the
middle Of Japanese torpedo fiotilla-
Eve determined to give the system
real trial." he said. I'VE commenced
to send the message. which was 1900
words in length, to station 1870 miles
away. The message was sent in four
sections. At the end OF the first $50
ton the operator on he ship listened
in vain for . reply.
"All excitement, WAS waiting in the
operators. room to see II there was
any result. For about five minutes the
operator remained with the telephone
receivers glued to his ears, and then
saw light CLEAN in his eyes. He was
getting something. At last he took OF
the telephone and said In his quiet,
quaint American way: Captain. We
will deliver the goods. Weihaiwai
says that 1t il coming in like . drum
Then l knew that the system Wa .
success
The Times dispatch boat, the Hal
mum. was fitted with the De Forest
wireless apparatus, and q receiving
station was erected near Weihaiwei,
the hrst message sent being in rela-
tion to the landing of Kuroki's army.
Capt. James sent 1t from distance
of 80 miles, and when he reached the
station found. to his Joy. that 1t was
on its way to London. Then he went
In quest Of further adventure.
Arriving In the neighborhood Of
Port Arthur. he saw three battleships
and two cruisers of the Russian fleet,
and Immediately sent . wireless mes
sage to Weihaiwsi. IS miles away.
After this came . run to Chinampo
and dash back to Port Arthur. where
important events were pending. The
dispatch boat arrived there Just In
time.
Just ~ day was breaking the chief
oficer on the Haimun WOKE me to say
that the Japanese feet was on our
starboard beam. We had hit 1t OF ex-
actly. and keeping abreast Of Toso's
squadron, we witnessed the operations
which cost the Russian cause nrst-
class battleship and Admiral Naka-
roff."
Hers u . passage telling Of the psrils
Of the war correspondent: 1.-THE Yel-
low sea. and especially that portion Of It
which II was our custom to patrol wss
alive with floating mines. Moreover the
Russ. ans. no doubt irrits,t b. their
mist or. uneA. had threattnsa 10th my
self and my operators with 4 violent
death II we should chance to fall into
their hands.
1.-THE reason why the Times system
ceased was because the japanese raval
and military authorities rec; zee that
the existence Of possible channel Of
leakage OF military secrets presented .
flaw in their plan of campaign"
Summing up. the lecturer said that he
thought wireless telegraphy in conjunc-
tion with journalistic enterprise, had
demonstrated its uses too we'll, and that
the SUCCESS Of the system had assisted In
it, downfall.