Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-31

DOWn III tne SOunu-pTOO1 Operating
room. windowless and protected by double
doors, some OF the navy's most expert
cnced operators, directed by Lieutenant
Woodwork, sent out the first flashes.
MAX, Max, the call for Colon 1,7S5
miles away, was sent hurtling through
the ether At intervals the instrument
spanked off N-A-x-R, the call for Key
West $40 miles off. No official messages
were sent. but the results of the test were
noted AT all stations on the Atlantic coast
az well as Key West and Colon, and re-
PORTS on the trials will he made to-mor-
row.
RADIUS ABOUT 1000 MILES
The radius of the new plant will be
about 1900 miles when 1t is In working
order. This range. probably the acme of
wireless operations. will be attained
gradually and 1t may be weeks before
the big plant is tuned up to its high
est efficiency. Communication with the
Pacific coast will be attempted only at
night for the present but throughout the
day the secretary Of the navy, at his
desk In Washington. will be within
! instantaneous communication with Key
Vest, Guantanamo. Colon. he naval
coaling stations. the winter manoeuvre
ground and all Atlantic stations
When the plant is working perfectly
and the chain of stations is completed,
Washington will be in touch with Hawaii,
Samoa. Guam, the Philippines and Pearl
IIarbor. The complete system will cost
about 100000. The seas then no longer
will he a wilderness for the American
navy. The ships with weaker equipment
cannot communicate with the powerful
plant at Arlington. but they may relay
messages to the various stations for
transmission to Washington.
Three huge steel towers on the brow
of n hill overlooking the Potomac and
dwarfing the Washington monument
hold the aerials which fling off the mes
sages to the ether. In their construction
skilled iron workers. who have braved
death on skyscrapper. declined to
work at such heights One towers GOO
above the hill where its base rests and
| that Is 40 feet above the river. The
other measure 45C feet. At the base of
the towers are the sOundproof workroom
quarters for the opera tors and barracks
for the marines who will guard the
towers.
TRY TO REACH IRELAND FIRST.
Within IA year the towers are expected
to be talking with the Philippines by
relays through Guam and Hawaii With
in the next few days the station will
attempt communication with the power.
full station at Clifden, Ireland, the near
est working plant on the other side OF
the Atlantic. Officers are hopeful OF
the outcome.
Constant communication is now bent
ma intained by a commercial company be
tween Clifden and Cape Race. New
I'oundand. and other stations are bein.
constructed for the purpose of brid..n.
! the Atlantic with aerial intelligence. !
commercial corporation has virtual,
completed the erection of powerful
plant at Sayv!lle. Long Island. which vii
have as its European terminus a station
Of similar design in the vicinity of Berlin
Still another near New York Is projecte,
with Its sister plant in Norway
The Arlington station. however. mark
; the most advanced step thus far taken Il
the establishment of regular and stead
communication by wireless over long dis
= tances. although the records of the arm
and navy departments disclose man
freak" messages sent and received owe
great spaces. These. however We're ex
changed under the most favorable condi
tons and for the most part are regarde
as accidents"
Reports to the navy department hav
. been frequent Of messages caught and eX
changed over remarkable distances as i
the case of all the Alaskan stations re
porting messages sent out from the sta
ton at Key West. Fla. 1t IL even sal
=, that Mare island navy yard, outside Sa
'. Francisco, has communicated with tn
=. station a Colon on the Atlantic coast {
- Panama.