Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-10-07
Talking By Wireless Across Continent,


Wireless telephone communication was
carried on last week between the Naval
Radio Station at Arlington, Va, and the
Mare Island Navy Yard on the California
coast, ?, 800 miles away.
Announcement to this effect was made
by Secretary of the Navy Daniels, follow
ing the successful elimination OF months
of experimenting which has been carried
on by the Navy Department in co-opera-
with the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company and the Western Electric
Company.
Less than six months ago new era ia
long distance telephoning with the use OF
wires began when President Wilson talk
ed over the wires from the White House
10 the Administration Building at the Pan
ama>Pacific Exposition at San Francisco.
Up TO that time the telephone had never
been used for such distance.
The present announcement completely
eclipsed this, for not only was the Secre-
tary OF the Navy able TO announce that
the human voice had been carried with
out the use OF wires, but the incident
made il reasonable TO predict that within
a comparatively short time II would be
possible 10 hold regular telephone con-
versations with the ships al sea.
The importance OF this achievment from
the standpoint of naval tactics in time OF
war is regarded as epoch-making. From
the commercial standpoint, the officials
OF the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company were able 10 announce tonight
with the use OF special transmltters from
wire to wireless service al some central
station il will be possible in the near fu-
ture for the ordinary citizen TO pick up
the telephone in his home and converse
with his friends on trains or Atlantic lin
erS at sea.
Secretary Daniels. who consistently en-
couraged the use Of the ,Navy's scientific
bureaus and Laboratories for tle deveI-
opment OF new inventions, said:
at is my pleasure 10 announce the sue
cessfu outcome OF experiments which
have been carried on for the last lew
months by the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company and the Western
Electric Company in cooperation with
radio stations under the jurisdiction OF
the Navy Department, by which long dis
tance wireless telephony has been made
possible.
"Wednesday speech was successfully
transmitted from the Arlington radio sta
ton 10 the radio station at Mare Island,
CAL, and there successfully received, thus
making possibl. conversation without
wires over distance of approximately
Z. 500 miles, the nrst time this great dis
tance has been covered by wireless tele-
phone. In the first experiments the voice
was successfully transmitted by radio to
Mare Island from Arlington, the return
answers and communications being made
over the transcontinental land telephone
line. This was successfully accomplish
ed in the presence OF officials and engin-
eers OF the Western Electric Company,
representative OF the Signal Corps OF the
army. representatives. the technical and
operating departments OF the Navy De-
partment and a few other interested
parties.
"After this successful demonstration,
conversation originating in New York
was transmitted over the land line TO Ar
lington, there automatically connected to
the radio transmitter, which carried the
voice to Mare Island. where il was clearly
and distinctly received, and answers and
other communications were from there
transmitted over the transcontinental line
to the originating office in New York.
"The conversation was carried on by
the president OF the American Telephone
and Telegraph Company, Mr.. Vail; the
vice president, Mr.. Bethel. and Mr..
Waterbury, one OF the directors; while
at Mare Island were officials Of the Navy
Department, John J. Carly, chief engin-
eer OF the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, and representatives OF
the Western Electric Company. Every
official taking part in this demonstration
is enthusiastic about the results and the
possibility oil developing this system as
an extension OF the telephone system to
ships at sea. The fact that the voice can
be started on land wire and auto
matically transmitted TO a voice radio
transmitter holds out hope that persons
on land should eadilY be put in touch by
telephone with others at sea through some
central transmitting station"