The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-10-15
RUbbERNECK|NG
THE WIRELESS

Telegraph Co. has been informed that
the news service between Honolulu
and the Hawaii Herald was picked uT
by the wireless operators of the 'sBig
Four three days after leaving this
port. A similar report comes here on
each of the government transports.
Apropos of this poaching of wire
less correspondence within the Hawai-
ian system s range is story the San
Francisco Examiner gives of two in
genius lads at Alameda who erected
wireless stations for themselves and
poaehed from the aerial preserves of
the United States navy. 1t is in part
as follows:
! Wireless secrets of the United states
Navy, from messages that pass be-
tween admirals when disquieting talk
| of war with Japan is in the air to
confidential communications that are
sent by gallants of the quarterback TO
boudoirs ashore, are being daily tapped
by two boys in Alameda, who are not
yet out of their teens.
These boys, whose scientific preco-
ciousness might any day involve the
United States in international COM
plications, appear 10 be having most
diverting time of it in acquaintins
themselves with the secrets of the
country's sea fighters. They are COM
piling a book of the choicest conf
dences they intercept, and it already
contains sufficient entries to precipi'
tate domestic war in many quarters If
not a conflict of more ominous and
far-reaching import.
The Examiner was given access last
night to this really remarkable book.
1t represents the joint work of Henry
C. Helm, Is years old of 1926 Park
street, and Alfred Wolf, IA years old
of 21S4 Clinton avenue, Alameda.
MANUFACTURES APPARATUS.
The fathers of the boys are partners
in a candy-manufacturin plant in
Alameda and both young Helm and
Wolf have amassed all they know
about wireless telegraphy from library
books.
Each boy has built wireless plant
unaided, and each is able to send and
receive messages as far away as
Acapulco, Bremerton and the Faral-
lones.
Helm, who appears to be the most
adroit of the two, has built his station
in the rear of his fathers place of
Tn nd iS
Marconi has installed sympathy cords,
sounding coils, receiving indicators and
all the other pharaphernalia necessary
to snatch secrets from the air. His
four-wire aerial he has erected on top
of the Encinal building nearby, and so
far he has been able to keep "in SYM
pathy" with every naval station of i'm
portance on the Pacific seaboard.
PLANT IS ON WINDMILL.
VOLTS aerial is on top of windmill
in the yard of his home, the attic Of
which serves as his wireless plant.
Calling each other by wireless sig
nails which they have devised for them
selves, Wolf and Helm spend all their
spare time jotting down and receiving
messages, keeping in unison and COM
pairing notes when they meet later.
Helm has been furnishing an evening
newspaper in Alameda with some of
the secrets received at his wireless sta
ton, and the accuracy of his informa-
ton has frequently been verified by
subsequent official announcements
from Mare Island.
BARE OFFICERS SECRETS.
When two sailors were drowned from
the cruiser st. Louis during an abandon
drill last Tuesday. for instance, Captain
Usher flashed a wireless message to
the commandant at Mare Island to
notify the police chiefs of san Fran
cisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda
of the fact.
This was done, but Helm, who had
transcribed this message at his station
while it was being sent out originally,
was able to acquaint Chief of Police
Conrad of Alameda hours in advance
of the drowning of the sailors.
Here are a few wireless messages
taken from the book, with names and
other details slightly changed for OBJ
vious reasons:
Miss Brown, Oakland-Can't meet
you tonight. No shore leave. Be good
in the meantime."
This was sent from 1.-The Captain
of cruiser now in the bay, and is
only few days old. Another message
Intercepted reads:
Mrs. Blank, Alameda-Will see you
sure tomorrow night. Didn't like to
take too many chances yesterday. We
must be discreet
THE Lieutenant"
Another of the officers addressed his |
inamorita at Mare Island like this:
Honestly. could not show last night |
Am arranging so 1 can see you often
er. Will take you to dinner Wednes-
day afternoon. Bluebeard'
A married woman on Mare Island |
addressed another woman's officer |
husband in this mysterious way:
All lovely. Am sure you are mis-
taken. Call again. Your, P. L."
USES EVANS NAME.
Helm said he frequently uses the |
names of Fighting Bob Evans and |
other mighty men of the sea when he
is querying a warship for information.
once just for fun, as he expressed it, !
he ordered cruiser about to sail to
delay its departure. Something wrong !
was evidently suspected, for the cruiser
aw11 I1f.