Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-11-11
WIRELESS PHONE
USED FOR FIRST
TIME IN Navy
Secretary Daniels Gives Order
from Desk in Washington
to COmmandant of New
York Navy Yard.

| Washington, Nov 5-Secretary Daniel.
transmitted the first naval order eve
sent by wireless telephone to-day tc
Rear Admiral Usher at the New Yorl
navy yard. From his desk in the navy
department tNA secretary talked to tn,
commandant Of the New York yard by
way of the big government radio towers
at Arlington and ordered report on re-
pairs to the dreadnought New York
Navy officials say the achievement bring.
closer the day when a secretary OF the
navy may sit at his desk in Washing
ton and talk with the fleet commanders
oil over the world.
Secretary Daniels transmitted this
verbal order which was taken down by q
stenographer in Admiral Usher's office
and acknowledged verbally by the ad.
,uiral himself:
Rear Admiral Usher, commandant,
New York navy yard.
Report as soon as practicable after
the arrival of the New York how soon
the repairs recommended con be com.
plcted
DANIELS" -
Navy wireless stations in all parts of
the country were eavesdropping TO catch
the conversation. While Secretary Daniels
was still talking with Admiral Usher, the
Charleston, s. c.. station telegraphed
that the order had been overheard and
copied there
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt followed
Secretary Daniels at the radio telephone
and later Mrs. Daniels was accorded the
distinction of being the first woman to
converse by wireless waves.
The secretary's Office was crowded with
naval officers and bureau officials during
the demonstration. which lasted half an
hour. Many Of them conversed with Ad-
miral Usher. Later Secretary Daniels and
Secretary Lansing of the state depart
ment, went to the radio room across the
hall from Mr. Daniels office and there lis
tened In on "the departments radio" sets.
They heard the voices of those at the
radio phone coming back to them
through the aerials on the state war and
navy building.
Admiral Usher said that the voices sent
by wireless from Washington were plain
ly audible in his office despite a heavy
static discharge which sounded, he said,
like stage thunder
The instrument used was the regular
desk telephone on Mr.. Daniels desk. It
carried the sound to the great Arlington.
Va, radio station where the transfer
was made automatically by delicate
mechanicisms and the voices of the
speakers hurled out into the air to be
audible thousands of miles away to any
radio operator whose set happened to be
tuned up to the right pitch and who v as
listening. Half a dozen extra receivers
We're attached to the telephone instru-
ment In effect the converse tons follow
ed a loop, going first by telephone wire
to Arlington by radio to the towers of
the navy yard station in New York, by
wire to the instrument on Admiral
Csher's desk and the rejonders directly
by wire from New York to Washington.
Secretary Daniels, enthusiastic paid
high tribute to the engineers Of the
American Telephone & Telegraph COM
pany. who designed the instruments and
arranged the demonstration. He declared
1t was the greatest scientific achievement
for the navy since the development and
adoption of the aeropane.