Evening star., 1915-12-21


All the nations of the world are en-
gagged in a spirited competition to i'm
prove their
Nations Are Engaged wireless serv-
in Spirited Contest. ments toward
that end are always under way at the
government stations. Just now the ex-
perts are trying to work out a better
method of controlling the current SO
that it may be used simultaneously by
more ships and stations.
Most of the government instruments
are manufactured on contract, but
there are now SO many efficient wire
less men in the service that nearly
anything could be designed by them
and manufactured at the navy yard.
By far the most noticeable improve
ment in recent years is the reduction
of the noise caused by sending from
the big stations. For example, the new
high-power station at Darien on the
Isthmus of Panama is scarcely aud
ible at hundred yards, while the old
one at Colon. which was the first tower
erected in the Canal Zone, made SO
much noise that it was a subject of
complaint. The old type of wireless
station made a noise exactly like a
small sawmill A rumor that the Ger
mans had set up secret wireless sta
tion in the middle of New York not
long ago was traced to a small port
able sawmill which was running day
and night in the back of shop.
There has been great Improvement,
too, in the design of the towers, which
are now self-supporting. while former
ly they required a number of outstand-
ing guys. One of these self-supporting
towers at New Orleans passed through
terrific test in recent big storm
there. which demolished many tall
buildings In the vicinity Of the sta
ton. The tower stood firm.
The wireless service of the United
States government compares favorably
with those of
Compares Favorably the other
With Other Nations. snd d,rsns .
from theh chiefly in that 1t has not
been standardized. This called for a
wider knowledge on the part Of opera
tors, and may occasionally cause some
delay and Inconvenience. but 1t makes
for more rapid improvement in both
men and machines.
Germany has completely standardized
her military radio equipment SO that
only one type of instrument Is used.
England has a partially standardized
equipment. but has introduced a num-
ber of innovations since the beginning
of the war. including three devices for
American inventor, John Hays Ham
mond, jr.
The United States has absolutely no
standards except of quality. Six com
mercial types of instruments several
European devices and a number de-
signed by the experts of our own serv-
ice are in use in this country. and the
American operator learns how to use
them all.
Our naval radio service now includes
forty-seven land stations, scattered all
over the world. Two of these are
hiRh-power stations, having gener-
ating apparatus of 100 kilowatts or
more. They are located at Darien, in
A third station of the high-power type
Will be completed at San Diego within
the next six months. while contracts
have been let for two others-one in
the Hawaiian Islands and one in the
Philippines. These new stations are
being constructed along the most mod
ern lines. It is believed that they will
have a much wider power of communi-
cation than any others in the world
and their completion will put the
other nation in radio equipment.
The big wireless station at Arlington
across the Potomac from Washington. is
the admins
Station at Arlington tration cen
Radio Service Center. ,-n,,sds,,tas as
from which are controlled all the ships
OF tho United States Navy. The little
town of Radio. Va. has been built up
about the big radio administration
buildings almost entirely by the people
that work there.
From this station. too. the daily time
signals from the naval observatory
are flashed all over the country.
This station has one of the most COM
plete wireless equipments in the world
and it's advantages are placed at III.
disposal OF all scientists doing serious
| work in that line. AS soon as the men
who have been exeriinenting in wire
| less telephony demonstrated to the
government that there were real posi-
| bilities in their idea. the Arlington sta
tion was placed at their disposal. In
\ it's workshops and laboratories were
constructed the Instruments and equip
| ment through which the human voice
| was first transmitted over long dis
| tances without the aid of wire.
| The big station at Arlington also
| handles a considerable amount of COM
mercial business and the stations of
\ the naval radio service are always
1 available for commercial use in places
where no commercial stations exist
! The service is maintained prima rily
for government use. however. and it
never enters into competition with
commercial companies. These are rap
! idly multiplying, but In many out of
| the way places the United States wire
] less service is the only U,eaps Of COM
munication with the outside world. In
| Alaska. for example, the radio is al
| most as important a feature of the
States mail is in the states.
James Joseph Williamson, formerly
OF Baltimore, died at his home in West
L