The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-06
WIRELESST TALK
ACROSS OCEAN
ASSURED SOON
R. A. Weagant, Marconi En-
gineer, Explains Inven-
tiOn to Scientists.
KILLS STATIC WAVES
Discovery Removes Cause of
Buzzing, Long a Bug
bear to Electricians.
CONVERTS SCEPTICS HERE
Prof. Pupin, Columbia, Ad-
mits Soundness Of Principle
After Explanation.
CONVERTS SCEPTICS HERE

The secret Of his discovery OF a new
law OF nature which ho has harnessed
to add the perfecting touches to wire
less and which will mean. enthusiasts
assert. that in but a short time the
human voice will span the globe by
wireless telephony. was disclosed last
night by Roy A. Weagant Of the Mar
conf laboratories before a gathering of
scientists in the auditorium Of the New
York Electrical Society.
The unveiling Of his mystery con-
verted Weagant's most vigorous
sceptic, Prof. Michael I. Pupin, head
of the department OF electromechanics
OF Columbia, who. after having ex-
pressed doubt over the proclaimed dis
covery, last night arose from the Elec-
that the wireless wizards find was to
be hailed with delight by electrical
| scientists
Weagant has eliminated the interfer-
ence of static electricity from radio
graphic currents, and when his discov-
cry was announced by the Marconi
people shortly after the end Of the war
the scientific world was startled
Sceptics arose from many sources
some of them, as in the case OF Prof
Pupin, being leaders in the world of
electrical advancement.
Discloses HIS Secret.
Until last night the discoverer had
held tight to his secret, which is this:
States, or "strays," or "interferenccs,'
AZ they are known In shop vernaculsr.
are loose, uncontrolled electrical ele-
ments from the atmosphere which stray
into the wireless MESA ges being sent
through the air and cause such q noise
In the receiver that the messages are
often drowned. Mr.. Weagant discovered
the natural law which causes states TO
travel In vertical path, like rain. while
the wave lengths OF a radio message
take a path parallel with the earth In
the manner OF water being thrown from
a nozzle aimed horizontally. Then he
devised an apparatus by which he
caught the statics going one way and
the wireless wave going at right angles
and kept the two from coming in ccn-
tact.
Oficlals of the Marconi Wireless Com
pany say that the doing away with
atmospheric interference completely per-
fects wireless as an invention, and that
II also insures transatlantic telephony in
a few months. Plans are already under
way for the installation of a wireless
phone system from New York to London.
The feat had never been undertaken
hitherto because of the presence of static
electricity, which not only sorely ham
pered the reception of wireless messages
but made projection of the voice over
great distances an impossibility.
The device invented by Mr.. Weagant
who is Marconi's chief engineer. is a
new form OF antennR, or aerial rig
ging, consisting of two rectangular loops
of wire separated from each other the
distance of a wireless wave length and
stationed in horizontal juxtaposition
The static waves, originating overhead
and travelling earthward, reach bott
loops simultaneously, but the wireless
current. travelling in a horizontal di-
rcction, has to go through first one loor
and then the other.
How New Device Works.
The static interference having struck
both loops at the same time. each looI
throws it's burden of states into oppo,
sHion with tho other, and they thus ere.
ate a negative, fighting 1t out to dealt
among themselves. But the current
hearing the wireless message passes
through the first loop along its horizon,
tai path and goes into the next. The
second loop being separated from the
all the wireless current has left the lat
ter before Il enters the second loop. Hav
ing entered the second loop there I.
no wireless current left in the first &c
be thrown into opposition with the sec
ond loops contents so the wireless mes
sage is retained and transmitted into
the receiving system.
The discovery and invention were
utilized throughout Americas part In the
war. Mr.. Weagant stated that not a
message transmitted over wireless by
the army or navy was lost or hampered
and that through having dispersed at
mospheric interference the Government
was able to catch every spy message that
was sent from the Continent 10 enemy
points. Up to the time OF the adoption
of his invention wireless operations were
broken into by vicious buzzing sounds
which sometimes resembled the throwing
mer 1t was impossible through the after.
noon and early night of hot days. during
which static influences are most preva-
lent.
: Heavy statlcs completely overcame the
signals. and great sums were expended
in the efforts of scientists and inventors
to find some means Of doing away with
the handicap, Static electricity was the
one remaining fault of wireless teleg-
4. Al l.
lone obstacle in the way OF transoceanic
wireless telephony. Mr.. Weagant's search
for the law governing atmospheric elec-
tricity has extended over ten years.
Explaining his search for a law gov,
erning the stray influences before he sci
his mind to inventing some device fol
coping with states. the Marconi engi
Continued on Seventh P0os.