Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-12-27
Puzzle Of Static Electricity Has Been Solved by R. A. Weagant
Invention in Use by Allied Governments During the War viii
Be Given to the World When Peace Is Finally Con-
c|uded-Great Saving Of Time and Money

| e'Aiilii"'e sthtlc, or, w 10 Improve
the wireless note by method of appara
tus, or both, so far beyond the art n
to constitute invention. The first ha
not been done. He who shall accom-
plish that need haye no fear of tn,
fate Of his invention"
So the radio operators kept OF
searching for that principle which Mr.
Weagnnt has at last found. We hav,
his word for 1t, and the word Of Ed
ward J. Nally, vice president and gen
eral manager of the Marconi company
and the fact that the perfected wire
less has been used by the government
during the war; although not yet Off
clally announced.
1t has made the bridging Of the
North Atlantic by wireless, always the
hardest route for aerial messages, &C
cordlng to Mr.. Weagant, easy. 1t has
eliminated long distances, the most i'm
portant goal radio engineers have
striven for.
Before the war we were limited to
six or seven hours communication a
dry across the Atlantic and across the
six thousand mile stretch from San
Francisco to Japan" said Mr.. Wea-
CANT. "Now we can use the wireless
continuously. Before the war II would
have been impossible to get all the
news which the German wireless
tried to scatter over the world. Now
we can get II all. I am not privileged
to say to what extent our discovery
has figured in the war, but | can say
in general way that almost every
thing the Germans sent out bearing on
the question of pence was received.
viii Gave Money.
"A considerable saving Of money
will be effected. In some sending sta
lions the power needed Is cut In half.
Instead Of steel masts 400 feet high.
ms some are, and cost $4,000 apiece.
A mast the height Of telephone pole
Is enough FOR receiving"
The inventor said that the trouble
with most OF the radio experts who
had been experimenting, with "static"
vas that they had given up too soon
Many of them came to the conclusion
hat the solution Of the problem was
They regarded static" as
A thing erratlc, lncalculable, way
ward, willful, law unto itself.
The turning point came when the
'larconi engineer decided that "static"
vas natural law, rational and follow
ne definite system, that only needed
o be understood to be conquered. That
vas In 1908. Since that time Mr.. Wea.
ant has devoted the better part of his
nergies to ascertainlng just what the
Of this law were. The pre-
iminary work was done largely at ex-
'eriment stations In New Jersey and
llami, Florida. In 1916 government
ssistance was enlisted and the ex-
eriments took on a far more definite
haracter. BY the time this country
'as ready to enter the war the work
nd reached practical completion and
atent application claims had been al
WED by the United States patent Of
ce. From that time forward the prob
I'm has been one largely Of perfection
( detail.
"All | did was to set out TO discover
ne new law Of nature and make II |
'ork for man. and that's all | have
one" said this modest inventor. ~
II up all sorts Of hypothesis and con-
.ructed all sorts Of apparatus, and
hen one theory wouldn't work I tried
mother. 1t was like failing in 900
avs and finding what you are after
1 the thousandth attempt"
OF course the question came up
gain as to just what the inventor had
'und out, what the new law of M
ire was. And what millions Of lay
en and few thousand scientists,
no were taking the attitude of the
wanted to be shown. 1t
as stated that some of them had pub
'ly doubted the solving Of the "stat-
puzzle. The inventor smiled and
his shoulders.
That's quite natural" he said at
unds big to make the announcement