Omaha daily bee., 1912-05-25

adjoining station. thus completing the
chain Of transmission between east and
west.
The design adopted for the Arlington
station will be followed In the construction
Of the others. The Arlington station. now
building, consists of three steel towers.
arranged in the form OF an isoscles
triangle. At the apex Of the triangle is
tower $50 feet high-niuety-flve feet
higher than the tip Of the Washington
monument At the base are two towers,
each $50 feet In height. The antennae are
to be strung from the tallest tower to the
other two. This arrangement gives the
maximum spread, and takes the fullest
advantage " the height OF the tallest
tower. Only the limitations OF an appro-
priaii0n deferred the Navy department
fycm making all three towers so feet
high. The towers OK the other stations will
soon be at least go feet In heigh, and
higher II enough money is forthcoming
to pay the added expense. One hundred
kilowatt wireless sets will be installed In
each station. The height Of the towers
promises to make these naval wireless
stations striking and distinctive features
OF the landscape at each point where one
is erected. Already the towers OF the sta
ton at Arlington are visible from the
streets OF Washington. rising far above
the outline OF the Virginia hills. opposite
the capital.
The points selected as sites for these
giant stations are already centers OF
naval activity or strstegically important
In the operations Of the fleet At most
OF them there are already small wireless
stations in operation. which have come
into constant use with the development OF
wireless telegraphy by the navy.
The station at Washington was decided
upon first. As the seat Of naval au-
thority. from which the movements OF all
naval vessels are directed. It Is the logical
place for the location OF the most power
full means Of communication with the
fleet which can be devised. The military
reservation at Fort Myer Offered a con-
yenlent site for the station. and the tele-
phone will bring It as close to the Navy
department in effect as II the towers
were being erected on the roof OF the
department building itself
The construction by the Navy depart
ment OF this chain OF wireless stations
will make the United States the pro-
prietor Of a system Of communication
girdling more than half the grobe. The
government will then be independent Of
the commercial telegraph and cable
companies. in war and In peace. The
advantages Of the system can hardly be
overestimated. For example. Read Ad-
miral Murdoch. commanding the Asiatic
fleet. now on duty In Chinese ports
sends to Washington by commercial
cables daily reports on the develop
msnts In the Chinese revolution and the
steps he IL taking to protect Americans
This method is both expensive and GLOW.
Were the chain Of wireless statinons in
operation Admiral Murdoch could send
bis daily reports without any expense
and with greater speed. The advantages
TO the Navy department are equally ap-
parent. II is not proposed to abolish the
less powerful stations now In operation
under the Navy department control on
the United States coasts and in the Pa
cific. with the establishment OF the
giant stations. The ships Of the fleet
though capable Of receiving messages at
a 3Ooo-miIe radius. have a maximum
sending range OF about LOO Therefore.
In many cases. the warships will be
obliged to relay messages through the
nearest small sstion. or through one an
other. The low altitude of the highes,
point on even the largest ships seems to
have put permanent Limitation upon
the sending power Of wireless stations on
shIpooard. American