New-York tribune., 1908-08-21
HELLOl rs THIS PARIS?
DIR. DE FOREST At PHONE.
Gets Metropolitan Tozcer to Send
Wreless Messages to EifeI TOzoer.

Within two years this city will be in wireless
telephone communication with Paris, or such
at least is the confident expectation Of the De
Forest Radio Telephone Company. which yes
terdav entered into a contract with the Metro
p5litan Life Insurance Company for the use OF
its new 7OO-foot tower at No. 1 Madison ave
me where the wireless apparatus is TO be in
stalled.
In the EifTel Tower in Paris at a height Of
$50 feet apparatus differing slightly from that
used in the United States will receive the VI
brations transmitted from New York and send
messages from French soil to this country, if
the plan succeeds.
DR. Lee De Forest is the president Of the
Radio Telephone Company, as well as its scien-
tific head Active negotiations were begun last
spring while he conducting his wireless
telephone experiments in Paris for the French
government The EfffeI Tower, the highest
point in France practicable for the purpose
was selected as the seat of the operations,
which lasted for several weeks and gave those
who we're testing the new system chance to
show what it could actually accomplish. AT
that time wireless telegraph messages flashed
at the Glace Bay station, in Nova Scotia, were
received in Paris 5000 miles distant, on the
summit of the tower. At the same time wire
less telephone messages sent from the tower
were distinctly heard on the coast of the Medi
terranean.
DR.. De Forest believed that with far more eff
fective apparatus il would be possible to COM
nunicate between New York and Paris. and he
Immediately decided to the new Metropolitan
tower.
WAR MINISTER ENTHUSIASTIC
Before he could see his way clear to put his
schemes into effect he found 1t necessary 10 ne
he nd wit
the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. To
obtain the privilege of using the Eiffel Tower
Dr. De Forest made formal application to the
French Department of War The plan was
taken UP enthusiastically by the War Minister
Last month DR.. De Forest returned to New
York and laid his plans before the directors Of
the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. They
took readily to his ideas and laid no obstacles
in his way The result was the signing yester-
day of a contract that will permit the Radio
Telephone Company to use the little house on
the roof of the building for apparatus and to lay
wires from this TO the apex of the tower
The wires will not be put up until the middle
of October at the earliest when the building
will be divested os part of its scaffolding at
that height Even after the wires are erected
thev will be invisible from the street and il
will be impossible to detect the cause of the
wonderful messages through sEace to a point
1000 miles off.
when the new tower is finished an antenna
consisting of six eight small copper wires
will be fastened through the topmast balcony
on the hfty-second floor, Just under the lantern.
These wires will be insulated from the metal
frame of the tower and will down diagon-
aIIv clear to the Fourth avenue end of the roof
of the main building, where the wireless ap-
paratus will be located In the pent house. In
this way it will be arranged so that each wire
shall be more than 700 feet in length, and as
far as possible removed from the absorbing in
fuence of the steel frame of the tower. The
mower station will be 100 feet above the side
walk
DR.. De Forest said last night that he
banpv over the signing of the contract, which
now enabled him to tell the public about his
ambitious idea. He enthusiastic in his
confidence that his plan would succeed
1T is only a matter of two years less be
fore the telephoning between New York and
Paris begins" said DR. De Forest, when seen
at the Yale Club The Radio-Telephone ap-
Iaratus win be of ten kilowatt capacity and
capable 1t is estimated, of covering Loco miles
with the present type of apparatus. This will
mean that wireless telephone communication
can be established at once between New York
and Philadelphia. Boston. Montreal. Chicago and
Havana Cuba. With certain refinements Of the
art which | am working IL Will be pos
sible later to telephone to the EifeI Tower.
..Of course, the telegraph is far simpler and it
will not be surprising il this city and Paris are
In direct wireless communication within the next
wear Ap aratus for the tower has been under
construe ton for time. and VIII lie installed
even before the antenna wires be put in.
The new station should be in operation on No
vember l"
COST OK FITTING Up STATION.
1t will mean expenditure OF about $6GO0 to
nut the station In working condition Due TO
Continued third page.