The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07

An antcnna was stretched from the fag1,olc near
the house If the lieltkceler. and this had the
distinction If being the first radio shore station
used In the United States. Later Il commercial
station was erected near the same SPOT, and
still later. in i!N1. the navy nut NJ II permanent
shore station there.
With the erection of the first experimental
station the three vessels. named were equipped
with radio apparatus, the first vessels OF the
navy To- be- so equipped. This was the beginning
Of the navy radio service.
Its growth aud development has been remark
able. M part ~ the Atlantic ar Pacific oceans
Is too far away to he out Of reach II a radio
gram from an American naval shore station.
When the fleet was engaged recently In Its big
war game ON the Atlantic coast the department
at Washington was In n position to be In In
Simultaneous communication win every unit.
quite rs remarkable aS the tale " the de-
v%cloImcnt Of radio for strategic purposes IL the
tale of its development In the navy for pur-
poses quite apart from war. Every department
Of the Government now uses 1t at times for
communication Its service to commerce ana
the merchant marine has become Indispensable.
Watch AMI clock makers In the Mississippi Val
Icy region. who. through wireless sets they have
erected for the purpose. regulate their standard
timepieccs 10y the daily time signals sent out
from the Arlington station; marine and other
interests. who receive from the same source
weather bulletins; passengers aboard ship, who
receive the daily news bulletins broadcasted
over the ocean from navy shore stations at GER
tain hours; jewellers on the far shores Of Alaska
and the insular possessions. who have no other
means Of OmniunicutiOli-a these and many
others benefit ny the service.
And the cost II Is tritling by comparison with
what Is accomplished. for Of all means OF rom
municatihs the wireless Is The cheapest. Last
year Congress gave for new Installations ut high
mower stations 81 ..asI.tHO ana for maintenance
SJs.WU. the 81 JaO.WD to he II continuing aIprO-
priation until expended. For the coming year
probably only $1.D.OW for nl purposes will he
required.
or course the navy Is not the only branch II
the Government that has wireless equI pnlent.
The army. for example. maintains Il cable from
Puget Sound to Alaska. an extensive system NJ
wire telegmrhs in Alaska and also several wire
less stations there. all engaged in commercial as
well aS public business.
Then the coast guard cutters. under the juris-
diction Of the Treasury Department.. Ill have
wireless equipment aboard. while In the Depart.
ment of Commerce j. lodged supervision and
regulation control over commercial and amateur
wireless operators: bur since 1904. by executive
action of The President. the navy i~ supreme In
the field IF coast stations. Commercial stations
operate Of course nn the coast. but they must not
be- ~ located ns to interfere with the operation
If navy radio stations.
The organization Of the naval radio service
i~ u growth and Il development. When wireless
tir>t came into being in the navy the old bureau
Of equipment handled II. hul subsequently the
duties wcre absorbed by the bureau Of steam
engineering. Then the passage " the radio act
by Congress in 1912. with its provision requiring
navy radio stations to relay and handle mari.
time AMI commercial business and the joining
III the Sane year nf thi. unlion in The London
aliotclcgraphic convention threw a tremendous
burden If new responsibility m the bureau.
Whereulon the radio work was organized as
an administrative unit and Capt. Billiard was
detailed as superintendent. The bureau ~
steam engineering still provides material, hut
the administration If affairs Is under the direc-