The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-26
WIRELESS WIZARD
SAYS TELEPHONE
WILL SPAN OCEAN
Swedish Expert Tells OF
Difficulties to Be
Overcome.
Too Much Electrical
Energy Would De-
StrOy Receiver.

COPENHAGEN, Jan. 25.-Mucn inter-
est and wonder have been aroused over
the reported bold announcement by
.NaIdemar Poulsen that wireless teleph-
ony from Europe to America. to Aus
tralia. OF to Mars is on the eve Of &C
complishment, and much secrecy has
been observed concerning the Poulsen
system.
Waldemar Poulseu is the inventor
,among other things, Of the tele-
graphone, a magic substitute for the
phonograpn. by which molecules OF
steel arrange themselves under magnetic
stress in such a way as to form per
manent. though invisible, records Of the
human voice.
Poulsen Praised by King.
Three years ago King Edward VII,
visiting Poulsen's workshop at CODen-
hagen, declared that his inventions
lwero among the most ingenious and
beneficial in the history Of progress"
A similar remark was made by the
King Of Denmark concerning POulsen's
latest invention. the continuous wave,
undaInped system OF telegraphy and
telephony"
What have done" said Poulsen, lis
20 solve the problem OF sending. with a
small expenditure Of power a magnetic
wave TO an infinite distance, and the
wave, which is strictly speaking. a con-
tinuous system Of waves, will affect any
receiving instrument however remote,
The continuous wave is the secret Of
this
The MarcOui and all other wireless
telegraphic or telephone systems are
worked by sparkling. The trausmitter
Is used merely 10 produce giant sparks
or single waves. which by the time they
reach a far-of receiver have lost in
power relatively 10 the distance. The
sparkling system has many defects for
wireless biography, but It is totally
useless for wireless telephony. 4 weak
wave IS not Of sufficient power TO al
feet the receiver. A strong wave makes
such noise on reception that It is
impossible 10 carry on human speech.
AS the result OF this noise the giant
spark is useless for the wireless tele-
phone.
Il have got rid of that spark 1 nave
devised a tTansmitter which emits a
continuous wave What the 'contin-
uOus wave means as opposed to the
spark may be shown by the simple ex-
pertinent OF dropping stones into water
If you drop a big stone once into a
pond that represents the spark. The
stone makes a big wave, which travels
outward losing all the time IN size. The
.sJIaTk of the sparkling system does ex-
actly the same thing. 1t travels out
ward on all sides and loses in power in
proportion TO its expansion in space.
Secret Continuous Waves.
but the continuous wave resembles
the dropping of not one stone. but OF an
endless series Of stones into the same
place in the water. If the stones are
dropped III regularly and rhythmicalIy,
each new wave viii coincide with the
other, and viii keep on spreading to an
infinite distance as long as the dropping
Is continued
I send out these continuous waves.
Each in itself Is OF small power. and
viii not affect the receiver itself suf-
ficiently for signal purposes. But for
the receiver end 1 have devised a special
condenser which collects all the weak
electrical waves transmitted rhythmicaI-
~ By the signaler. and stores them up
until there IS enough power TO affect
the micrOphOne which IS an essential
Fart or every. telephone.
Owing 10 the absence Of noise. my
wireless telephone can be used for great
distances. But one difficulty have not
yet overcome, and until it IS overcome
the wireless telephone to America
Australia, or Mars viii not be prac-
ticabIe.
The miCrOphone in the receiving in
strUment is the difficulty Electrical
energy OF sufficient intensity to go
without wires. across the Atlantic and
reproduce human speech would destroy
the microphOne as it now exists.
Difficulty of the Receiver.
"A very strong current passing
through the bed Of carbon particle,
which lies between the two metal plates
of the micrOphone fuses the carbon anC
destroys the microphone, and without
this very strong current wireless teIe
lphOny at great distances is impossible
/ am therefore devoting myself TO tn
invention Of a new microphone which
Will stand the tension of a strong cur
rent. I have not Vet solved the prob
lem. and until I have done so my dream
CT opening up wireless-telephone com
munication between New York ant
Copenhagen must remain unreaiized.
Meantime my wireless telephone hat
been proved practicable over a create
distance than has been covered by an
rival system.
Without wires l have carried on
sustained conversation, perfectly audibI
on both sides, between Berlin ant
Copenhagen, a distance Of 200 Englisl
miles. That is the present limit. anC
no experiments over longer distance
have yet been made"
''Pillng up energy at the other end
is the secret Of the Poulsen system, bot
in wireless telegraphy and telephony I
Is the secret, too, OF. Valdemar POulsen'
success as an inventor. Poulsen's methOu
Is to keep a carefully written record O
all minor and casual electrical phe
inomena which he observes in the cours
OF his experiments. even II they hav,
no anna rant inheritance and y1-I,sv, =, or