Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-02-13
RADIO SIGNALS
sent UNDERSEA
Device Made Communication
Through Water and Beneath
Ground Possible.
SECRET HUNS DIDN'T KNOW
Maryland Scientist Is Persuaded After
Much Pressure to Accept Remun.
Grafton for Time Spent Work.
Ing on Invention.

Neutrality-suspicious. underground and
thrOugh-water wireless was put into
practical use during the war was dis
closed by navy department officials,
giving to the public another of its Sc
crets, carefully guarded so long as it
might be Of value to the enemy. Gov
eminent officials regard this develop
ment, originated in private research by
James II. Rogers, scientist of Hy-
attsville, Md, as one of the wars ma
jor scientific advances of the kind.
In practical use the new system so
far is employed only for receiving.
Radio messages sent out from power
full stations in Europe are now being
read at underground receiving sta
tons In the United States and in
some cases, better than when caught
by the elaborate and expensive air sta
tons.
Got Signals Under Waves.
In addition, it was revealed at the
department. through an adaptation
of the Rogers theory, submarines un.
der water are interccpting radio sig
nails sent from shore-and with crude
apparatus. The scientist has succeed
ed in transmitting signals two miles
from submerged wire Stimulating a
Submersble. Officials SAY II is pos
Sible, though moi yet an accomplished
fact, that ground or water sending can
he developed to a considerable extent.
They do not anticipate, however, that
the present method of sending from
high towers Will be superseded except
for limited special purposes.
The theory most generally held I'M
til Rogers demonstrated the correct
ness of his views, was that impulses
hurled into the air from Il radio trans
hitting station and detected earth
ward became dissipated, as does light.
ming, when they struck the ground or
water.
The Maryland scientist, however he.
ile,td that the impulses flowed through
the earth as through the air and that
1t was only necessary to trap and
measure them In the ground. He had
been at work on this theory before the
United States entered the war and al
ready had interested naval experts. He
offered the results of his work to the
navy without restriction, and when
they We're accepted after some dem
onStrati0nS at Uyattsvil!e, officials say,
he was with difficulty persuaded to &C.
eept even remuneration for actual time
given to cooperation with the govern
ment.
One Of the first steps taken was
the request of the navy department,
under war legislation that his appli-
cation for patents be expedited. This
was done.
Main Advantages
Some 0f the Naih advantages Of
me Rogers system as developed so far
according to experts, are almost npgli-
Chile cost of construction, the ntcnSi-
flying of signals by pointing the send
ing apparatus toward the receiving sta
ton and reduction of static interfer-
ence. Because of the latter advan.
tage, the navy's receiving station at
New Orleans, where communication
with ships in Southern waters swept
by frequent electrical storms is main
tanned, uses the underground appa-
ratuS with marked success.
In war great advantage is that
submarines receive messages while
submerged. This Is being done by
wires trailing in the water,
The Rogers development aroused
electrical experts of the government
to new efforts to expand and improve
radio transmission facilities, out of
the experimental work done with this
and other ideas steady advance has
been made under war pressure and
Rogers theories are interviewer with
those of other men in the results that