South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-22
VOICE IS CARRIED
ACROSS ATLANTIC
Message Given at Washington
is Received at Paris
Through Wireless.

telephone communication between
Washington and Paris was established
~ the American Telephone & Tele-
graph Co. Thursday morning between
midnight and ] o'clock. The words
uttered by y. B. Webb, an engineer
for the company in the naval wire
less station in Arlington. just outside
of the capital we're heard distinctly
by II. r Shreevs in the Eidel tower.
400 miles away. As Shreeve listene ed,
Lloyd Espensheid, in Honolulu, 1900
miles from Washington, heard Webb
fpeak. Thus by a few simple words
Paris and Honoluiu-S, 700 miles apart
were linked for about Is minutes.
Predicts Around the World.
Thursday night a score of reporters
with telephone receivers clamped 10
their ears sat around a long green
table in the office Of Theodore Y. Vail,
president OF the American Telephone
& Telegraph Co. John J. Carly, chief
engineer for the great corporation,
was in Chicago. over a special wire
Mr. Carty told the reporters about
Webs message to Shreeve and Espen-
shield. And when ne had finished the
absorbing narrative he predicted COM
municatiOn with Toxic as the next step
ard then the inevitable words that
would travel around the globe.
Hello, hello. Can you hear dis
tinctly?" asked Carly.
"Yes2 Well. il happened between
midnight and / O'Clock in the morn
ing. There was only one transmitter.
webb, our engineer in the naval wire
less tower i'm Arlington, used IL.
Shreeve. another engineer, was in the
Eihel tower in Paris. Espensheid
was in the tower at Honolulu.
You know on the morning OF
Sept. 30, an hour or so after Mr.. Vail
telephoned by wireless from where
you are sitting to San Francisco, San
Diego and DARN, down Panama way,
we got in communication by wireless
with Espensheid. our man in Homo
lulu.
Try For Two Weeks.
For a fortnight we have been try
ing to establish radio telephone COM
munication between Arlington and
Paris Static disturbances hindered
us. our only chance was to reach the
Eiffel tower. But the French go>'- -
ment Is using the tower almost CA
stantly for military service. DeZpite
this. the French officials, ever on the
alert for the most modern achieve
ment, granted our engineer the use
Of the tower for a few minutes each
day.
Tremendous electrical disturbances
were encountered. Last Thursday our
men in Washington seemed TO have
Paris. Again on Wednesday they
touched the receiver on Shreeve's
head
For some reason we could not get
the connection we wanted. Ii should
be easier to telephone to Paris than
10 san Francisco. ShreeVe and A. NJ
Curtis, our second man in Paris. had
arransed with us to set up a series of
wireless signals when we would be
listening and waiting. He agreed to
cable us the results of his vigil.
Last night Webb and r. A. Heising.
who was working with him in Airing
ton. were pCking out over the Atlantic
for several hours. once they seemed
to reach ShreeVe, but the signals told
us that he did not hear. During the
early night the static interferences
were tremendous. But toward mid
night the atmosphere cleared. Webb
had the only transmitter. Shreeve
was merely listening.
Radio Hits Tower
Finally soon after midnight the
radio struck the tower hare and fast
Hello, hello. hello, hello sang
Webb. Hello, Shreeve Hello, Shreeve.
Hello. Shreeve Hello, Shreeve. One.
two, three. four. five, six. seven, eight
nine, ten. Hello. Shreeve. Hello,
Shreeve. Hello, Shreeve. Goodbye,
Shreeve. Goodbye, Shreeve. Good
bye Shreeve
'Espensheid was listening in 90 We
figured that there was a chance that
he would hear. But Shreeve was the
man we wanted to reach. We were
certain of 80. 1t was Paris we wanted.
Radio traffic in the Pacific was
very light. But the air over Paris was
suTcharged with electricity. 1t seemed
that all the high-pOwer stations in
Europe were roaring.
Webb talked in an ordinary sing
song tone. He repeated his words
many times. He used a number OF
words that we use In testing. lie made
no attempt to hold actual conversa-
ton with Shreeve because Shreeve
could not answer. We picked out
words easily distinguishable because
il was the basic fact of ability 10 COM
mUniCate that we were after
When Webb had finished he arose
and shook Heinsing's hands. He was
sure that he had reached Shreevs
and Shreeve had heard.
Early this afternoon we received
n cablegram from Shreeve. In it he
said he heard partly. We were elated,
naturally. Somehow or other we
seemed 10 have forgotten about
Espensheid, away over the Pacific.
But Espensheid had heard. An hour
later we received his cable He had
heard. too He recognized Webbs
know who was TO do the talking. He
.stened ia and was able TO identity
his friend. Webb. by the voice. Rather
encouraging. what?
i guess that's all, gentlemen. un-
less you'd like 20 ask questions. You
know I'm arranging tonight 10 estab-
lish the telephone communication be-
tween Thomas y. Edison in San Fran
cisco and his home in Orange, y. j."
What's the next step2" oueried a
reporter.
New York TO Toxic Next.
Communication with Toxic from
New York" came TIE reply from Chi
CagO.
Wireless telephone communica-
ton around the world from Mr.
Wallis office in New YORK over the
continent. over the Pacific over ST.
IBERIA and Europe and over the At
iantic 10 the president Of the United
States. How sOon2 I cannot predict.
7 cannot tell you how soon the wire