The San Francisco call., 1910-10-16
Wireless Telegraphy
in War Times

Lepel's little establishment in the
meadows at Slough, Eng, where quite
unimportant looking wooden hut holds
the myst teries which will undoubtedly
play great part in the future of this
modern science
Beside the hut is a tall. well built
mast from which are suspended the
aerial wires that send forth the electric
signals into that nothingness which, for
want of a better name we still call
ether"
Everybody knows nowadays that
wireless message is transmitted by
sending long or short signals through
the space separating two stations, and
that by the length of each one of the
series of signals words in Morse code
can be interpreted.
Two remarkable features of Lepers
system Of wireless are that very much
less power is wanted to send a message
over long distance than with most
other systems and that the intense elec-
trio spark, so important but SO noisy
feature of many other systems, is en-
tirely absent. But the genius Of the
baron is most in evidence in the receiv
ing apparatus he has invented, by
which very feeble and indistinct sig
mails are almost miraculous1y trans
formed into louder ones.
To explain by an analogy the method.
which is somewhat complicated. suppose
one has large tin vessel in the middle
of foh tc
ported at either end. II water is grad
ually poured into the vessel its weight
continues to increase until the fragile
board gives way and let's the tin fall
through.
In the same way the very feeble wire
less signals are stored up in a ''conden-
SER, until a quickly vibrating inter
rupter enables the stored up energy to
rush into the telephones which are
strapped to the ear of the operator,
who thus hears a loud signal. All this,
of course. takes place in less than the
thousandth part of a second.
Those who have had the opportunity
of listening to wireless messages will
be familiar with the dull buzz, buzz of
the telephone signals. Baron Won Lepel
uses clear musical note instead of a
toneless buzz, and this note can be
changed at an instants notice by mere>
ly depressing key of what looks to
the unnitiated something like a dolls
pianoforte.
The operator receiving a wireless
message hears a succession of musical
notes, and by means of simple adjust
ments he can tune up his receiver so
that they can be heard clear and sharp,
while ordinary wireless signals, which
in the ordinary way would greatly con-
fuse the operator. can be cut cut in
few moments so successfully that they
cannot be heard at all.
The simple transmitter used by Lepel
sends an almost continuous train of
small waves to the receiver. whereas
with most systems of wireless large but
quickly "damped' Cor extinguished)
waves are transmitted each requiring
a lot of electrical energy If you have
a heavy pendulum once swinging, 1t
only requires the faintest push to keep
it always in motion; 1t is just the same
with these Small but continuous cleo
tro magnetic waves-each signal sent
keeps up the disturbance with the min
imum of power The apparatus is small
and simple. and would doubtless be
most appropriate for portable installa-
tions.
The utmost ingenuity has been dis
played at different times in inventing
codes which would battle those for
whom the code messages We're not in
tended. But Baron Won Lepel's wire
less fute-for that is the instrument
which IL most resembles-is unique
In a demonstration, by pressing the
correct notes Of the tuning keyboard
already referred to, the tune God Save
the King" was transmitted from Slough
to Brussels with the utmost ease
"Bien entendu; viye Pentente cordialei"
came the replN q minute later. The tune