The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-08-02


even less disease. Likewise if these
identical directors had only been lit
tie more in tune with the living hope
and faith of the world they would not
have found fanlt with man who was
forming new and great discovery
for the use of man.
A Fundamental Success.
To the alleged scientists who ''pooh-
poohed" at the idea of transmitting
wireless messages across the ocean
Marconi said as little as to the rest.
He only erected poles far up in the air
on the British and Canadian sides of
the Atlantic and one day repeated the
letter 50 three times distinctly from
shore to Shore 1t was a fundamental
success like that achieved when he had
sent an impulse from one side to the
other of his fathers room 1t estab-
lished the principle. The rest was
easy. Soon he sent other letters, then
words, then entire sentences The ne
gationists had been met by pos We
by a fact. Accomplishment closes the
mouth of doubt.
Then another discord was raised
about his ears. The cable companies
! thought their private interests endan-
gered. Selfishness can never appre-
ciate a public blessing, especially if
that public blessing promises to cut
! off its own profits. With his new in
vention Marconi said it would be pos
sible to telegraph across the ocean for
less than the Western Union charges
to Wire across a county. No wonder
the telegraph and cable trust was
aghast.
But the walls did not stop even here.
The little always hates the big. Fail
ure carps at success. No sooner had
William Marconi proved beyond cavil
that he had made one of the greatest
| discoveries in the history of mankind
than thousand hands We're raised to
snatch the laurel from his brow. He
had stolen the invention from other
men, yelled the critics. He had reaped
where others had sown. This was only
half truth. What If thousand had
built the ladders? He had reached the
summit. To every discovery many
men contribute. One makes an ap-
proach here, another there, but each
fails to reach the final mark. A third
takes advantage of their work, gen
eraliZes their facts and unveils the Sc
cret. Shall he be robbed of credit be-
cause others had preceded him? Is
Shakespeare less the genius because he
drew his materials from those before
him? Was Newton less the dscoverer
of the law of gravitation because Cali
lei had established the fact of the ro-
tation of the earth?
Others had striven toward wireless
te!egraphy, but Marconi found it, prov
ed it and gave it to the world. Grant
every praise to them, but take none
from him. There is glory enough for
ALL
1t is not to uplift his forerunners,
however, that the cavillers have raised
this question. 1t is to lower Marcon.
Is there no better business than seek
| ing to belittle those who render service
!! to the race?
Useful to Mariners In Distress.
Wireless telegraphy is only nine years
old, yet it is already an established part
of the worlds activities Almost every
ocean going vessel is equipped With
wireless Instruments. Thus on the
great liners papers are printed contain
! ing the news received by wireless The
system is also used to report vessels
as they approach the harbor. The
greatest service rendered by the new
invention, however, is in the case of
ships in distress Many crews have
been saved by such means. Most read
ers will remember the thrilling account
of the rescue of the crew of the light
ship outside of New York harbor. The
| plight of these men would not have
been known save for the use of the
wireless.
When Walter Wellman makes his
sensational aerial flight to the north
pole he will send back the news each
day by wireless telegraph. Thus two
of the worlds latest inventions, the
alrship and the air message, will be
employed in discovering one of ma
lures latest and greatest secrets.
After William Marconi had achieved
Alo SlOSu llllAiuS SUCCESS ne returned
to Italy. There he was given ban
quet and reception such as only the en-
thusiastic Italians could create. He
had gone from them mere boy and
had returned honored of all the world.
With his father and mother on either
side he listened to eulogy by his
former teacher, Professor Right. When
he arose to reply his emotions made
him dumb. He is not man of words,
like so many of the worlds truly great,
and could only stammer his thanks.
His townsmen understood, however.
and honored him all the more for his
modesty. He had helped all mankind
in the interchange of thought but had
nothing to say for himself.
Mr.. Marconi is not society beau.
So wrapped up is he in his work that
he is distracted often in the presence
OF others. In the atmosphere of the
worlds commonplaces and little moth
I