The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-29
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Mcssage-Ihe Freak Caused
Much Discussion Because
There Was no Band
Playing.
New York Herald.

New YORK Herald.
The many vagaries Of the wireless
system Of telesraphy and telephony
which are now installed on the var
ious vessels Of the navy are subject
to constant study by the electrical ex-
perts who are in charge of the plants.
They are of especial interest now be-
cause Of the important part that wire
less :: -'unica:ion will r az in the
coming visit to the Pacific.
During the recent assembling Of
the fleet in Cape Cod Bay, one of the
operators on the Ohio, wai!e receiving
message, was suddenly interrupted
by the strains Of a march sounding
in his ear pieces. Thinking it was
the band Of the ship playing, he went
to the officer Of the deck and asked to
have the band stopped until the mes
sage was completed. The man who
relieved him at the receiver when he
went to the officer of the deck con5ln-
ued to hear the music and, conse-
quently, when the first operator re-
turned and Informed the man at the
receiver that the band was not play
ing on the ship there was consterna-
ton in the wireless Office, for sound
ing clearly in the ear pieces was
march played by band.
The Connecticut being the only
ship present on which a system Of
wireless telephones 1ad been Install
ed, every one was at loss to explain
how music could be heard over the
receivers of wireless telegraph. 1t
seems the band, which was head at a
distance of over a mile, was on the
Connecticut, and her wireless trans
mitters we're thrown in while her
band was playing and another snip
had wireless message interrupted
by hearing this music. The reason
of this freak Of electricity is not yet
explained.
An explanation probably lies IN
the fact that the ear pieces Of the
wireles telegraph are very sensitive
and the wireless telephone transmit
ter Of the flag ship is very powerful,
hence the sound waves of the music
caused sufficient static electricity to
be transmitted and received by the
aerial of the wireless telegraph.
As all wireless experts know, d.
rectors of the microphone type are
irregular in their action, and, for that
reason are more or less unsatisfac-
tory. While they are more sensitive
than the coherer, they cannot general
ly be used to advantage. They can be
improved in their reliability Of US
ing "a number in multiple and revoiv-
ing the needle, which is generally a
small steel piece, by clock work. This
causes a more or less musical sound
in the receiver, but the sound of all
the instruments of a band is quite
another matter, and if will probably
be some time before the real cause OF
this phenomenon is discovered.
Another possible explanation may
lie in the fact that all wireless IN
struments have to be tuned before
messages can be received. By tuning
| is meant the adjustment of the closed
and open sending and receiving cir
cults to the same wave length or to
any desired wave length within their
limits. By a wave length is meant
the length of the curve Of the amos-
phere which is disturbed when the
static electricity is discharged from
the aerial wires. This wave is Of dlf-
ferent length according to the IN
strument used. and, as it is known
that sound travels in waves, there
NAV have been some synchronlzatlon
between the length Of the waves Of
the music made by the band and the
tuning of the receiving Instruments
on the ship where this occurred.