The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-11-06
FILINGS SIGNALS OVER WIDE SEA
NaYr's Wireless Plant lat Arlington
Opened. Plans to Encircle the
Globe

Washington, Oct. 28.-Crackl1ng
and sputtering with life the navy's
new wireless station at Arlington
Va.-the most powerful plant in the
world-tonight flung from it's lofty
aerials the first message which sig
nalzied the completion Of an import
ant step in the building Of globe
girdling wireless system which will
keep every ship Of the United States
within instant communication with
the capital. Wireless operators pro-
fessional and amateur, on one side
of the globe probably had their in
struments at their ears straining to
catch the faint buZzes as the power
full apparatus sputtered out Its calls
for Panama, Colon, and the Atlantic
coast navy stations.
Down in the sound-proof operating
room, windowless and protected by
double doors, some OF the navy's most
expert operators, directed by Lieut..
Woolworth sent out the first flashes.
Max (the call for Colon 1,S75 miles
away was sent hurting through the
ether. At intervals the instruments
sparkled off MAR (the call for Key
West, 975 miles away. No other Off
cial messages were sent but the results
of the test were noted at all stations
on the Atlantic coast.
Covers $500 Miles
The radius of the new plant will
be about $500 miles. This range,
probably the acme of wireless opera
ton, will be attained gradually and
it may be weeks before the big plant
is tuned up" to its highest efficiency.
Communications with the Pacific coast
will be attempted only at night for
the present. Later on throughout the
day, the secretary Of the navy at his
desk in Washington will be within
instant communication with Key
West, Guantanamo, Colon the naval
coaling station, the winter manvoeure
grounds and all Atlantic stations.
When the system is working perfectly
and the chain Of stations Is complet-
ed Washington will be in touch with
Hawaii, Samoa, Guam, the Philippines
and Pearl Harbor. The completed sys-
tenn will cost about $1,000,000. The
seas will not longer be q wilderness
for the navy. Ships because OF weak
er equipment, can not talk with pow
erful plant at Arlington but they may
relay messages to the various stations
for transmission to Washington.
Three Huge Towers
Three huge towers on the brow Of
q hill overlooking the Potomac and
dwarfing the Washington monument
hold the aerials. In their construc-
ton some skilled iron workers who
had braved death on many skyscrap-
ers declined to work at such dizzy
heights. One tower Is 600 feet above
the hill, where it's base rests and that
is 200 feet above the river. The others
measure $50 feet.
At the base of the towers are the
sound proof workrooms, quarters for
operators and barracks for the ma
rines who will guard the towers.
Within a year the towers ate ex-
pected to be talking with the Philip
pines by relays through Guam and
Hawaii Within the next few days
the station will attempt communica-
ton with the powerful station at Cliff
den, Ireland, the nearest working
plant on the other side Of the Atlantic.
Officers are hopeful OF the outcome.
Constant communication is now be-
ing maintained by connected COM
pany with Clifden and Cape Race,
New Foundland, and other stations
are being constructed for the purpose
of bridging the Atlantic with aerial
A commercial company
virtually has completed the erection
Of a powerful plant at Sayville, L. l.,
which will have as it's European ter
minus a station of similar design in
the vicinity of Berlin. Still another
near New York Is projected with it's
sister plant in Norway.
The Arlington station however
marks, the most advanced step thus
far taken n the establishment of reg
ular and steady communication by
wireless over long distances although
the records of the army and navy de-
partment disclose many freak" mes
sages sent and received over great
spaces. These, however, were ex-
changed under the most favorable con-
ditions and for the most part are re-
garded as accidents.
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