The Huttig news., 1912-03-30
.T0EXTEND WIRELESS
Chain of Stations to Cover a
 Wide Radius.
Many Feats That Are Now Considered Unusual to Become Part of the Ordinary Day's Work of the
 Service.

Washington.-The navy department las drawn up plans for a chain of wireless stations which will bring the department into aerial communication with all its ships wherever they may be, from the coast of West Africa to Chinese waters. Congress has been asked to appropriate $1,000.000 to es- tablish this system, which will be su- perior to any of the kind now in ex- istence in any part of the world
 The chain as planned will consist of seven stations. One already is under construction at Arlington, Va, across the Potomac from Washington. The others will be in the Canal Zone, at San Francisco, at Pearl Harbor, Ha- vail, another on the island of Guam, the next on the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines and the last on Tuluila island, one of the American Samoan islands.
 The Washington station is expected to cover the entire Atlantic coast with 8 sending radius of 5000 miles. The station in the Canal Zone will cover the Caribbean sea effectively, besides being in touch with both Washington and San Francisco. From the San Francisco station communication will be had with Pearl harbor, the Pearl harbor will easily reach the Guam sta tion, and the operator at Guam will be able to talk to the man at the LuZon station
 From Luzon it is proposed to control ali naval vessels in Japanese or Chi nese waters. The station in the Sa- moan islands will cover the South Pa cific. This station is especially de- sired because there is now DO cable at Tutuila island
 Each of these stations will be equipped with 100 kilowatt generating apparatus. The design adopted for Ar lington station. now being construct ed, will be used. that is, three tall steel towers with the antennae stretched be- tween them. The Arlington station is to have one tower 600 feet high and two towers 45G feet in height. IL is estimated that if s1 ,000,0 900 only is ap- propriated the other stations in con temptation will have only 450 foot tow CTS. If more money is granted by congress 500 foot towers will be built
 Each of these stations, it is expect ed, will have a sending and receiving radius of 5000 miles. That is what the stations are expected to do regu- larly under fair conditions both day riubf tho c1piiObf al he a electric waves sent out from the sta tions. Communication over land is more difficult than over salt water, yet Lieut. David w. Todd, the wireless expert of the navy in charge of the de- partment's plans, is confident that reg ular communication will be had direct ly between the Washington and San Francisco stations. The distance to 1 be thus covered is about 5000 miles.
 The navy now has wireless stations of comparatively low capacity at most of the points where these powerful stations are planned. On freak nights, according to reports received at the 1 department, when atmospheric condi- tions are abnormally good the opera | lOI dl A1dl t lSldliQ, &dl, uSetlS LIleS- sages being sent on the Atlantic coast This operator recently reported that he heard the cruiser Salem calling the auxiliary Prairie on the night of Jan uary and 8, when both ships were searching for the destroyers lost in the recent big storm. On the same night this operator heard the operator -J ho hott1acbin ba near Galveston, Tex, sending. Good night" He talked with the operators at Colon and heard the Cape Cod sta tions sending news to Europe. These incidents, it is pointed out. are now accidental with the present equipment of the stations. It is confidently ex- pected, however, that if the proposed chain of stations is authorized by con- gress such feats of long distance com munication will be regular every day occurrences.
 Efforts are to be made soon to ob- tain the ratification of the treaty of | Berlin, to which all the leading na- tions except the United States are signatory, which contains certain pro- visions regarding international con- munication by wireless. As the Unit ed States Is not signatory to this treaty, 1t Is barred from sending rep resentative to the international wire | less conference in London this year, at which there will be further discus sion of members to be agreed upon by the different nations for the use of | Lxy thn rh; Is the belief of both army and navy wireless experts that the United States and American shipping is handicapped by not being party to the treaty and by It's lack of representation at the joint conference.