The Washington times., 1922-12-19
RADIO Of 2O23
/ To- be INSIDE !.
! EARTH
Lee be Forest, Noted inventor.
So Declares, Pointing Out
Ease Of Construction.


tconvrirht. 1854. by Cosmopolitan news
NEW YORK. Dec. 1s.-whhe
shall not be here in 2o2s' peheve
that long before 100 years nave
a,,psed we shall sec radio being
transmitted by means OF shaits or
wells. sunk perhaps 5000 feet oeep
in the earth.
II NAV be found that only a
few of these will DO necessary W
send messages to any part OF the
globe. say. one, perhaps In new
York or thereabouts, and one a.
some point in China which "ouiu
be in direct line with the shai'
here. As ID well known 70
scientists, radio is easily transmitteo
through the earth and more easi'y
between direct points. Many per
sons have believed that the etner
ysas the only route Of TRANSMISSION
which, of course, is erroneous.
with the sinking of such shafts
=
whether 100 year, hence or sooner
the one great obstacle to raaio
would be overcome compieteiy.
That ia static, which causes SO
mich. ANNOYANCE to radio work.
particularly in summer.
Better at All Seasons.
Nv radio transmission through
the earth. messages could be sent
"a easily at one time Of the year
as another. Heat. also, is favor-
able to its transmission. facilitating
il. At a depth Of 5000 teet Tue
heat, no doubt. would be very
great, as has been found In some
mining shafts in various parts OF
the country, but probably not 70
such an extent as to interfere win
the operation OF the system. AZ
this depth, too. 1t would be possipie
to get away from the prokeh
stratas Of air which are now en-
countered.
With the radio engineers OF the
future working under such condi'
tions the tall towers that now ex'
ist for the transmission OF radio
would come down. there being no
further use for them. The eng'-
neering difficulties would not be
great. Low frequency would take
the place of the present high ire
quency system method.
The sending Of radio communica-
tions from the two points ind :
Gated would present no great d:f1i-
culties. for they would travel in
direct lines. From Ahese po ms
they would be transmitted else
where, but they would not be heard
with as much force at points re-
mote from the two main stations
| To overcome this other shafts could
: be sunk elsewhere, The sinkin 9
Of these shafts would eschief item
Of expense. take It. In the
operation Of such q plan. but 1t
would probably present no great
engineering difficulties.
Costs Would BE Lowered.
At the base Of the shafts copper
plates might be installed which
would comet with insulated.
sheathed copper cable. leading to
the surface Of the earth.
II the radio engineers OF the
future, whether of 100 years hence
or of an earlier date, should put
such a plan into operation II would
mean a very large reduction in the
cost to the public Of the trans
mission Of communications, for
while such installation as I have
suggested might cost 10000 or
more. to send message to China
under present conditions means
that the charge 10 based on an In
stallation Of about $4,000, 900. Nat.
the sending Of messages by the
former system would be great
also believe that tho develop
ment of radio In future years win
make II possible to transmit 200
or 800 words per minute. The
present workable limit In eighty
words per minute. With increased
speed and lower sending costs 1t
may very we'll be that II would cost
very little more for people to send
communications by radio than by
mail, and with an immense saving
Of time.
Predicts Pocket Sets.
Another change that 100 years,
or even less time may bring
operation Of broadcasting stations
by the Government.
With such stations OF sufficient
power, one located. say, at New
York, which would cover the terri.
tory from the Canadian border to
Florida and to the Mississippi river;
another similar station at Chicago
to serve the Middle West, and a.
third at San Francisco to cover the
Far West. there would be no need
for the multitudinous sending sta
tions which now give but mere
squeaka, in many cases. to those
having receiving sets. The immense,
powerful stations ! have In mind
would fully answer all requirements,
and those using receiving sets would
get something worth while.
BY 2033 man may carry q small
receiving set about with him, some
thing not larger than the average
Photographic camera Of today, and
be able not only to hear the Govern
ment's broadcast, but to communal
cate with friends at considerable
distance. possibly several hundred
miles.