New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
Radio Is to Pilot
Ships In and Out of
San Francisco Bav
Navy Department Working
on Double Track System,
Which Is Expected to Be-
come Reality in Few Years

A "double-track railroad" guiding
ships from all parts of the world in
and out of San Francisco Bay, through
the Golden Gate. as safely in fog as In
clear weather.!
That is the seemingly incredulous
task upon which the Navy Department
is now working. 1t will be reality
within few years, or if Congress be
lenlent, by next January /.
Commander H. w. Mccormick. Pacific
Coast radio material officer at Mare
Island, has asked an appropriation for
the laying Of radio plotting cables from
san Franclsco's waterfront. a distance
OF seven or eight miles out through
the Golden Gate. Unless the appropria-
ton OF the wireless section of the
bureau OF steam engineering is trimmed
TOO severely at Washington, the funds
VIII become available July i the r1eces-
ssry supplies will be requisitioned i'm
medlately, and the vessels calling at
San francisco will be electrically
guided into the harbor before next
January.
Confident of Success
The use of radio pilot cables is still
IN the experimental stage. Commander
Mccormick said, but naval officers are
cohhdent OF its success. Only one ex-
pertinent has been heretofore con-
Quoted IN the United States, and that,
at New York, operated successfully
until the cables were cut by dragging
anchors.
The equipment for the "double
track consists primarily of two heavily
insulated cables, Gosting approximate
lH S'o,00O; transmitting station with
coils on both the port and starboard
sldes OF ship. One of these cables
on the right-hand side Of the channel
outbound, will flash 90 UT" at ali
hours of the day and night, and the
other, ON the left-hand side of the
channel. outbound will flash 81 NJ
An automatic key system will perform
this labor
With the aid of the recently ostab-
hshed radio compass stations, or by
other accurate methods of navigation
ships will be made to pass over the
desired cable. When the sound waves
of the induction coil show equal in
tensity on both the port and the star
board sides, the master will know that
he is directly above the pilot cable.
BY holding his vessel so that these
waves remain equal, he can bring his
ship into harbor through dense fog
40 IcdUilV as III CledT weather..
Advantages of Service
The use of this service will save the
losses accruing when many ships lie
off the heads, waiting the lifting of the
fog bank to come into the bay, Com
mander Mccormick said. The expense
of necessary installations upon the hull
Of ship would be slight in compari-
son with the advantages to be gained.
Eventually, believe, all the chief
harbors will have radio pilot cables
and all ships will be equipped to avail
themselves of the service Commander
Mccormick declared GAS for San
Francisco, it will be a matter of only
few years until the cables are laid,
even if the appropriation is rejected
this year. In addition to the navy
vessels, which will, of course, be
equipped to follow the cables. expect
that practically all ships calling regu-
larly at this port will quickly install
the induction coils"
Commander Mccormick said there
was likelihood that the first appro-
priation would be sufficient for the lay
ing Of only one cable. In this case, he
said, signal like IS. F." would be
given, and both inbound and outbound
vessels would follow the same cable
San Francisco Bulletin.