The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-02-12
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.

Washington.-How 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 So
crets, carefully guarded so long as 1t
might be of value to the enemy. Gov
eminent officials regard this develop
mcnt, originated in private research by
James ii. Rogers, a scientist of ily-
attsvillc, Md, as one of the wars ma
ior scientific advances of the kind.
In practical use the new system 50
far is employed only for receiving
Radio messages sent out from power
full stations in Europe are now being
read ut 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 intercepting radio sig
nails sent from shore and with crude
apparatus. The scientist has succeed
ed in transmitting signals two miles
from n submerged wire Stimulating
submersible officials say 1t is pos.
sible. though not vet an accomplished
fact, that ground or water sending can
be developed 10 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high towers will be superseded except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
/ iii Rogers demonstrated the correct.
\ ness OF his views, was that inlpul ses
'ifhrled into the air from a radio trans.
hitting statian aud detected earth.
ward became dissipated, as does lighto
hping, when theyostruck the ground or
! water. -l5'al5I g9a
7 The Maryland scientist, however. beI
I lieved that the impulses fowedthrongh,
the earth as through the air and TINT
it was only necessary to trap and
measure them in the ground. He had
neen at work on this theory before the
United States entered the war and al
ready had Interested naval experts. lie
offered the results OF his work to the
navy without restriction. and when
/ they were accepted after some dcfn.--
onsirations at HyattsyilIe. officials say,
he was with difficulty persuaded 10 ac-
cept even remuneration for actual time
given TO cooperation with the govern
ment. NCl~u4t.~
one of the first steps taken was
the request Of the navy department,
I under war legislation. that his appli-
cation for patents be expedited. This
was done.
Main Advantages.
Some of the main advantages Of
the Rogers system as developed so far,
according TO experts, are almost negli-
gible cost of construction, the intensi-
flying OF signals by pointing the send.
Ing apparatus toward the receiving sta
ton and reduction of static interior
ence. Because of the latter adyan-
tage, the nayy's receivings 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
are being obtained.