Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-14
Marconi Engineer Talks to
Mems Club on History and
Future of Commune
cation
~ NucENT n. SLAUGHTER,
Resident Engineer, Mareoni Wireless

st. Andrews, Honolulu, Z. H., June $
III 1881
III Wireless telegraphy has become SC
much a part Of the accepted order oil
III things that II seems well to begin this
n discussion with a brief summary oil
III the important steps in its develop
H nent, in order that we may appreciate
4 he fact that, wonderful as are the ac
complishments Of wireless to date, its
possibilities have as yet been scarcely
II touched
81 The first step in the utilization OF
n he so-ca1led Hertzian waves as
n means of practical wireless commune
n .ation was taken by Merconi, who be-
n gan experimenting at the age Of iS,
II md soon achieved distances of sew
1 sral miles with HIS crude apparatus,
Two years later 1887 he went to
England. and from that time rapid
progress was made, communication be-
.ng achieved over greater and greater
iistances, until the memorable day in
l December, 1901, when Mr. Marconi.
l stationed at st. Johns, Newfoundland,
! heard signals being sent out from
P0ldhu, England, distance Of about
ZOO miles
| Gross Atlantic Service.
Having demonstrated the possibility
| or trans Atlantic wireless, Mr.. Mar.
conf proceeded with the installation Of
| powerful stations to establish a COM
mereial service across the Atlantic;
and since 1907, with certain interrupt
ktiuns, the principal one due to de-
struction of one station by fire, COM
munication has been maintained be-
tween Glace Bay. Nova Scotia, and
Clifden, Ireland, abou; 1000 miles.
Since 1910 these stations have been in
steady operation. day and night, fur.
nishing q commercial Transatlantic
service as reliable and accurate as
eable service.
The possibilities of wireless for ship
service were quickly realized, and its
development for this class Of service
| has kept pace with its development
for lone-distance, trans-ocean work, So
that at the present time, practically
an otean-e0ing ships carrying passen-'
gers are. equipped with wireless sets,
and such ships are rarely out OF com.
munication with shore stations or 9TH
er ships That this Is Of inestimable
value In decreasing the loss of life at
sea is self-eyident when we recall the
numerous cases In the last few years
where the CO d call has brought
timely assistance to ships IN distress.
From the business mans point Of
view. the Inconvenience Of ocean ira
vel has been greatly reduced, because
he Is now able to keep IN touch with
his affairs from midocean; while the
daily newspaper published ON board
many steamships supplies the passen-
gers with the Important news OF the
preceding day.
Overland Service.
For overland service wireless has
played q relatively minor part, the
number OF such installations in the
United States being very few. The
transmission OF wireless signals over
land is not so good as over water, !
and comparatively high power Is ere /
qhired TO effect good day cOmrnuuica-
ton over even moderate distances An
interesting example OF its use as . |
substitute for wire teleerabfy il tie |
installation used BY the Wanamaier
stores IN PHILADELPHIA and New Yofh, |
for interchange OF messages over the |
Intervening ninety miles These St.
lions use about ten horsepower. which |
is much more than Is employed ~
the usual ship set; and the latter |
viii have day range Of possibly sew
era1 hundred miles, and q night range |
that at exceptionally favorable times |
may runinto several Thousand miles. |
3 An interesting fact, and one the ex-
planatio1 of'which IS not yet apparent |
to wireless engineers. is the much |
greater distances that are accomplish. !
ed at might on the Pacific Ocean than |
on the Atlantic Ocean, with sets Of |
the same power rating. /
Pioneer Apparatus Simple.
The pioneer wireless apparatus de-
vised by Marconi was exceedingly !
simple; for sending it consisted Of:
1st An aerial, or group of wires
run TO height of fifty feet or more,
with its lower end grounded.
End. A gap in the aerial circuit.