The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-03-26

more formidable than the tanks of the great war
and a mysterious agent of wholesale destruction
even more deadly than any gas used by either
side.
Well, who shall say that Wells hasn't the right
idea about Mars being inhabited by beings just
as smart as we are-and probably a good deal
smarter?
1t is "a bold man who say impossible" these
days.
Anyway, Guglielmo Marconi, the famous Ital-
ian engineer, who perfected wireless telegraphy,
has opened up an exceedingly interesting question
by this statement:
II have encountered during my experiments with
wireless telegraphy most amazing phenomena.
Most striking Of all is the receipt by me person
ally of signals which | believe originated in the
space beyond our planet. | believe 1t is entirely
possible that these signals may have been sent
by the inhabitants OF other planets to the inhabi-
tantS of earth.
If there are any human beings on Mars I
would not be surprised if they should find a means
Of communication with this planet Linking Of
the science of astronomy with that Of electricity
may bring about almost anything.
while our own planet is a storehouse Of won
ders. we are not warranted in accepting as a fact
the general supposition that the inhabitants Of
our comparatively insignificant planet are any
more highly developed than inhabitants Gf there
be sUch) Of other planets.
For all we know, the strange sounds that 1
have received by wireless may be only a forerun-
her of a tremendous discovery.
The messages have been distinct but unintel-
ligible. They have been received simultaneously
In London and in New York, with identical in
tensity, indicating that they must have originated
at a great distance.
These signals are apparently due to electro
magnetic waves Of great length, which are not
merely stray signals. Occasionally such signals
can be imagined to correspond with certain let
Conc. Af thA ATnrSn. ndn Thny n IN % 49, -
lions irregularly at all seasons. We do not get
the signals unless we establish a minimum Of s.
mile wave lengths. Sometimes we hear these plan
etary or interplanetary sounds 20 or 30 minutes
after sending out a long wave. They do not in
terrupt traffic, but when they occur they are very
persistent.
''The most familiar signal received is curiously
musical. 1t comes in the form of three short raps.
which may be interpreted as the Morse letter s.
but there are other sounds which may stand for
other letters.
"The war prevented an Investigation Of the
Hertzian mystery, but now our organization in
tends to undertake a thorough probe"
Australia corrobOrates Marconi's statement.
Highly skilled and experienced operators at sgd
ney have received numerous signals similar to
those reported as having been received in England.
They consist of frequent repetitions of two
dashes, representing the letter M. They are on
wave lengths of $4,000 to 10000 meters. The
Australian experts say such wave lengths have
never yet been used by any wireless station Of
the earth.
Now what do the electrical authorities say on
the general subject? Here it Is, in brief:
Thomas A. Edison has this to say: although
] am not an expert In wireless telegraphy, 1 can
plainly see that the mysterious wireless Interrupt
tons experienced by Mr.. Marconi's operators may
be good grounds for the theory that inhabitants
of other planets are trying to signal to us. Mr..
{ nYita rfnht IN cto<fun thof this 10 m
tirely within the realm Of the possible.
81 have given some thought to the matter and
can record one personal experience which may
or may not have bearing on proving that Mr.. Mar
cont Is right. I was seated on the peak of q great
pile Of iron ore near the reduction plant at Orange
one day, when / noticed that the magnetic needle