Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-06
Sayages Learned
How to Wireless
South American Natives Used
Hollow Log 10 Communicate
With One Another.
By John Z. KENNEBEcK.

BY JOHN Z. KENNEBEcK.
this is the first iassslisssas ss The
Bees story Of vadie.b
The radiphone is but the las,
chapter in the evolution OF inter-
communication. according to Ray
mond Francis Yates. one OF the fore
most radio experts OF the country.
With the evolution OF man came
the evolution OF language, he states
, III an interesting article on "Com-
muniea,ion, Ancient, and Modern"
As men multiplied and rowing
tribes came into being necessity grew
for communication over long dis
tanees. Probably the uncivilized
tribesmen did find some method OF
talking" over considerable distance.
A traveller returning from the wilds
OF South America tells how the ma
tives along the Amazon were apprised
OF his coming several hours before he
reached the various villages. He dis
covered that a novel means OF re-
laying this information was used.
The receiving and transmitting sta
ions were simply hollow logs. One
end OF the log was placed in the
water and the other end beaten with
a club. The vibrations that were set
up in the log were impaired to the !
water, and, since water is a good
conductor OF sound, they were car
ried up and down the river for a dis
tance OF several miles. The receiving
was done with a similar log used as
a resonator. The operator held his
ear to one end OF log with the
other end in the water. In this way
the delicate vibrations transmitted
through the water became audible.
The natives used a code to talk to
each other.
Fire Signals.
The wireless system used by the
American Indians were fires or arm
signals from hilltop to hilltop. They
used also another system that was
equally ingenious. By beating upon
the ground in certain fashion they
were able to set up vibrations that
could be detected by trained ears
over considerable distance,
The ancient Greeks and Romans |
devised a method OF signaling with |
fires. Pots filled with straw and oil
were used. By arranging these i'll
certain order and lighting them ac-
cording to a prearranged system,
characters could be expressed over
distances that were of necessity
limited by sight.
Messages by Water Power.
A wise Grecian army commander
named Aeneas invented telegraph
system that marks him as an early
Marconi. The apparatus he developed
consisted OF two large earthen pots
for receiving and transmitting sta
tions. Each pot was provided with
a valve or spigot and wooden
float. The float carried a stick ar
ranged in an upright position, and
this was marked off in divisions.
Each Division marked certain SEN
tence. When communication was
started the pots were filled with
water. Then the distant sender
lighted a torch. At this moment,
the receiving operator was all atten-
tion.s When he saw the distant
torch go out, he Immediately opened
thes pigot at the bottom of the pot,
allowing the water to run out The
man at the sending station did the
same. As the water ran out of the
pots, the floats and the message
sticks" were carried downward.
When the division that represented
the message that was to be trans
mitted reached position in line
with the top Of the pot, the distant
sender again exposed his torch and
he receiver responded by closing the
spigot. He then read the message
rom the stick.
Then the Telegraph.
History does not tell US how many
disasters befell Greek armies through
| leaky spigot.
Then came semaphore signaling
hat was used to great advantage
n France during the revolution.