Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-26
WIRELESS ON The
GREAT LAKES


Among the activities Of the United Wire
less Telegraph company none Is more I'm
portaut than the equipment Of the great
lakes fleet with wireless telegraph sppa-
ratus. Within the last three months yes
sci owners in Chicago and other great
lake ports have awakened to the advan-
tages Of having wireless on board their
steamships.
When the first propositions were made
by he United company to several Of the
lake steamship companies, the wireless
company's representatives, were met with
various arguments, all tending to show
that while wireless might be Of great. ad-
vantage 10 ocean steamship lines, the sys-
tenn would be Of little or no service to yes
sells plying on such comparatively small
bodies OF water as the great lakes.
The first company to install wireless was
the Graham & Morton Transportation line,
whose steamships ply between Chicago.
Benton Harbor, Mich. and Holland, Mich.
The first demonstration Of the efficiency
OF the system was given on board the
steamship Puritan, while in mId-lake be.
tween Chicago and Benton Harbor. The
success Of the demonstration, during which
forty-seven messages were sent from the
ship to both Benton Harbor and Chicago,
and thlrty-seven received from those sta
tons, made q deep impression on the prao-
teal minds Of the steamships oWners 1t
was decided to Immediately equip all the
vessels of this line.
1t was not long before Goodrich Trans
portaton company with it's ten vessels de-
cided to install wireless on board Its fleet
The Crosby Transportation company and
the Northern Transportation company
quickly fell In line and these four com
pRnies form the nucleus Of the Great
Lakes system Of wireless communication
between ships and the shore.
1t IL understood that the United States
wireless company has closed contracts
with practically every line doing business
on the lakes, and that their factory facil-
tiles are being pushed to the limit to get
out apparatus with which to equip the
fleet. While this work is being done. the
y company has been busy erecting stations
Vat. Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Benton
Harbor, Holland, Grand Haven, Mantle
wac, wis. Buffalo, Toledo, Detroit and
Grand Rapids, where the shore end OF the
business will be handled.
Contracts have been closed for the cree
ton Of ten more stations at important lake
ports. These will be necessary to complete
the chain of sending and receiving stations
to handle the great amount Of business
which will surely grow out of the necessity
for quick communication between Snip and
shore.
Reports Of the United Company's Great
Lakes district representatives show that
this business is growing so rapidly that
within the next six months every station
Will be working up to its capacity, The
revenue from messages sent to and from
the p several big passenger steamers has
increased surprisingly during the past
thirty days. There is every evidence that
the business which will grow out Of the
equipment of the Great Lakes fleet will
furnish a very handsome revenue to the
company. Several new stations which will
work in conjunction with those already
established in the Great Lakes chain are
about to be erected in Western Pennsyl.
vania and Ohio.
Negotiations are now pending FOR the
building Of several stations In some OF
the larger cities In the middle west. These
when completed, will form a chain Of relay
stations which will meet every emergency
when through service between New York,
Chicago and other lake ports is interfered
with by press of business.
1t is confidently expected that within the
next twelve months the commercial bust
ness in the Great Lakes district will be
such as to warrant the extension of the
United Company's land stations West and
South, until the entire country from eoast
to coast is dotted with them.