Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-22
PROVES 4
GREAT FACTOR IN WAR
Every Big Bertha in the World Con-
1ict Fired by Simply Press
ing Little Button.
WIRELESS ALWAYS KEPT BUSY

Long.Distance Communication Made
Easy--Trench Orders Accurately
Given by Telephone Powerful
Magnets Aid Surgeons.
Electricity. pre-eminently a child OF
peace, has been adopted by war as
it's own especial ward. The writer of
an interesting story in the New York
Sun undertakes to show that without
electricity the great war now going
portions which 1t has: perhaps could
never have been fought at all. Every
Big Bertha. says this writer, is fred
by an electric spark. Every order from
headquarters reaches the trenches,
not by courier. as in days of old, but
by telephone. The wireless crackles
staccato accompaniment to every
sailing OF ship and submarine. The
torpedo itself is propelled by electric
motors.
Invention has been stimulated almost
Historically by the demands of war.
Armies on the march, or in the field
have now hundred conveniences
which were not known last year.
There la a radio telephone and tele-
graph equipment, for instance, which
can be attached to a motorcycle. 1t
was given to America only little
while ago by a New York inventor.
The transmitting power is approx
mately one kilowatt. with a resultant
radius for the wireless telegraph of
from eighty to 100 miles, and about
half that distance for the radio telc-
phone.
Current for this compact fleet set is
supplied to the telephone or telegraph
by a high voltage direct current gen.
orator connected directly to an inde-
pendent motorcycle engine connected
with the side car. For the equipment
1t contained in a small metal side car
attached to the cycle.
THE WIRELESS, AND
HOW 1T Is OPERATED
The wireless equipment comprises a
completely independent unit. which
can easily be detached and pashed by
hand or loaded on a wagon and trans
ported over rough ground. An extra
wheel is provided which can be at
tached to either hub of the side car
or to the front or rear OF the motor
cycle The antenna' is supported by
a lightweight metal mast of tubular
construction. The telescope form OF
1t makes 1t possible to collapse the
mast and strap 1t out Of the way on
tho cars side. And when erected, 1t
can take messages from field and air
planes with equal ease
The French have developed the wire
less to fine point. They now have
what they call an "ondophone" detector
for receiving messages, the value of
which lies in its small size and e1-
tremely compact makeup. The whole
affair. as a matter OF fact can be car
ried in an officers breast picket
With this little detector at dis
lance OF twenty miles from the trans
mitter. all that is needed is an open
umbrella held as high as the hand can
reach-or a sword. IL you prefer
while small metal contact piece con-
nected to cord lies upon the ground
and makes the earth circuit At sixty
miles one need only plant knife In a
tree, preferably pine tree, or a
gimlet will answer as we'll. One of
the cords with it's metal clip is at
tached to this "antenna" while the
other clip is placed in the ground The
enttre receiver weighs but thirteen
ounces, and yet In spite OF its size, 1t is
mcticulously made and is most ac-
curate apparatus.
A PITTSBURGH INVENTION
PROVES OF GREAT VALUE
the extreme borders OF France, one clip
is Joined to a telephone line, which
serves as an antenna. and the other
goes to gas or water pipes for the
ground. But at smaller distances
there can be wider choice for an
tennae-a kitchen stove. a balcony. a
fetal bed or the like. or even a bicycle
or an automobile. The operator may
use his own body for tho ground by
attaching the metal clip to his finger,
while the other clip goes to the tele-
phone wire. In this way signals have
reached Paris from a distances Of no
less than go miles.
Most interesting of all perhaps, and
particularly SO from a constructive
viewpoint, is the invention of an cleo
trical contrivance TO remove particles
OF metal from wounds. This has not
come directly from the war, either,
though it is being used there now In
the best OF the base hospitals. 1t
came from Pittsburgh, from the fac
tories which have been furnishing
practically all OF the barbed wire for
lne dlIleS lntrenchmentS. ,
This machine is a powerful electric
magnet that is taking the place OF
the surgeons painful and perilous
probe, and il is one to save countless
lives and untold agony. The removal
OF pieces OF shrapnel, steel jacketed
bullets and other metal substances
from wounds by use of powerful
electro magnets in tho war zone hos
pitfalls has been acclaimed as the very
latest application of science to sur
gerry. But it had already been in
practice for over year in East Pitts
burg in the relief department of a
large barbed wire factory.
WAR BRINGS OUT NEW
USES or ELECTRICITY
The magnet Is mounted on a box,
winch contains a rheostat used to
regulate the amount of current flow
ing through the coils. 1t requires
1000 watts for it's manipulation, or
enough power to supply 100 thirty-two
candle-power Mazda lamps.
Interesting data has been prepared
at the Pittsburgh branch of the West
inshouse Company. where this humani-