The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-10-27
HOW COAST HEARD
OUR WIRELESS TALK

Call-An indistinct clicking-then
tumble of Morse Geographic dots and
dashes-all in an unfamiliar tone-and
finally, slowly and clearly, the letters
aloha came, telling Lawrence Ma
larin, night wireless operator on Rus
sian hill, at 1920 O'Clock yesterday
morning that San Francisco and Ha-
waii were joined. in wireless tele-
graphic communication.
Congratulatory messages followed,
and for more than an hour and a half
San Francisco spoke, with Kahuku, a
bleak little station on the extreme
northern shore of the Island of Oahu,
upon which is also located Honolulu.
1t meant that a mysterious electrical
force was waiting across the Pacific,
for the first time in the history of
wireless telegraphy on this coast, intel
ligent messages, covering distance
of 209S miles. At the same time the
operator in the Hawaiian Islands pick
ed up Boring Sea. And the operator
at Kahuku, Arthur A. Isbell, was send
ing the messages on half power only.
Malariu was astonished when he learn
ed this, and he afterward expressed
the opinion that Hawaii and Manila
would soon be joined in wireless COM
munication and that a more wonderful
feat would be accomplished-the es.
tablishment of transpacific wireless
communica ton.
A few months ago the station at
Kahuku sprung up, but the apparatus
was not in place until late Saturday
night. Then it was that Isbell, anxious
to establish the new record, began
flashing out his Hawaiian greetings
He sent them out in all directions,
hopeful that someone would pick them
up and give him that satisfaction he
desired.
Malarin in his lonely office on Rus
sian hill was attending to the usual
nightly messages that go up and down
the coast. when the iumbled sounds
tempted him to drop the routine work.
He listened and was about to give up,
believing that some young experiment
er about the bay was "butting in, -
but "Aloha the Hawaiian word of
welcome-impressed him as strange.
He listened on and was rewarded with
more greetings. and he fastened to
reply in this wise:
30. X Isbell HUI :35 a. m.
"Hawaiian Wireless Company: Con-
CALCULATIONS.
"UNITED WIRELESS COMPANY. !"
Then there came back in the same
clear tone:
"Hu Isbell OK Oh 1:9S a. m. HUI IL.
"United Wireless Company, Phi, San
Francisco: Thanks. Same to you.
"ISBELL.
Anxious to spread the good news,
Isbell communicated with Balch, an
operator on Barber's Point, an inter-
| island station in the Territory, giving
him all the details with boylike eager
| ness. Malarin continued to listen and
| he distinctly heard the message flashed
by Isbell to Balch as follows:
''Hu Isbell OK las a. m.
"Balch, Barber's Point: Just ex-
changed messages with Phi, San Fran
cisco. He says l come good to him.
He came loud to me. Also heard
steamer Victoria, in the Bering Sea
calling cruiser Colorado He came
loud Nothing from feet yet-too
early. Suggest you CALI Associated
Press and get message from Associated
Press. San Francisco. will be or
watch some time yet-probably till 2
"ISBELL."
Without losing minute Isbell pick
ed up San Francisco again and explain
ed that a sleepy Jap in charge of tn,
switchboard in the station was unre
liable and that it would be necessar,
to adjust the engine governor. Thi
message read:
"San Francisco: Good for you, oil,
man. My engine governor is out o
adjustment. Have Jap at the switch
board to regulate voltage. He goes t,
sleep all the time. am living RICH
in bunch of 700 Japs. Say, Sal
Francisco, why not call up the Associ
ated Press and get a bunch of new
for the Hawaiian papers for Sunday
Make people sit up and take notice
Say, look for me every night abou
this time. Am using only half powe
and small aerial to send on, but re
ceiving on big one. Please give M
time to adjust receiver before saying
ANYTHING. Call few times like this
'Ph, Phi, Hu, Hu.'
HISBELL, 9 a. M