Evening star., 1922-11-05
HOW NORTHUMBERLAND
OF HERTZ'S DISCOVERY
History Of Origin and Progress Of Wire
less From Offer TO Britain to
Transsea Service.

that Queen Victoria might communi-
| cate with the injured Prince of
Wales.
| Installed on I.ishtship.
| In December of the same year the
first permanent radio installation on
| ship at sea was made-on the
| East Goodwin lightship. for COM
municatins with the South Foreland
| lighthouse. twelve miles distant.
One month later. in January. 1899,
part of the lightship's bulwarks were
carried away by heavy sea, assist
| ance being summoned by radio.
| In the following March the light
ship was again the victim of a mis-
hap. the steamship r. r. Matthews
| collidinS with the vessel and dam
aging her to such an extent that life
boats had to be summoned by radio
from the South Forsland lighthouse.
| During July of the same Year ,e&
detrimental radio INSTALLATIONS were
made on the British warships Alex
andra, Europa and Juno. messages
being exchanged between the vessels
at sea up to seventy-fve nautical
| miles.
| Reported Yacht Races.
During September and October of
| the same year the New York Herald
| utilized radio for reporting the re-
| suits of the international yacht races
| between the Shamrock, and the Co
| lumbia.
Thus the new science-still re-
garded by the public in the light of
a curiosity-was introduced in. the
| new world as a result of enterpriSinS
| journalism.
Upon the conclusion Of the yacht
races the radio apparatus was tried
out on the American WarShipS New
York and Massachusetts. before being
taken back to England. communities :
tions being exchanged over distances
|
| In November of the same year 4
few radio sets were sent by the Brit
ish to South Africa for service in the
Boer war. this being the first use
made of radio for war purposes.
On German Liner.
In March. 1900. radio apparatus vas
installed on the German liner Kaiser
Wilhelm der Grasse. this being the
first permanent radio installation on
, a SeagOing passenger vessel
! In the same year the erection OF
: two so-called high power stations on
. shore were started, one at Poldhu, IN
England, the other at Cape Cod. Mass.
. These We're intended for transatlantic
communications as well as with shps
. , at sea.
Both stations we're wrecked within
a year and within two months of each
other by heavy gales. and had to be
| rebuilt. incidentally these stations
were of only twenty-five kiloWatt
power. whereas stations up to 1000
kilowatt power are now used fer
transat atlantic communications.
In November, 1900. the first Bel
gian steamship, the Princess Glenn
entine. was fitted with radio. and in
the following January the vessel ran
ashore on the Belgian coast during a
thick fog.
. In May. 1901. the first British
, steamship, the Lake Champ1ain. Was
fitted with radio and continued to op-
crate without mishap.
First Transatlantic signal.
In December of this year Marcon sue
ceeded in receiving the first radio sig
nal across the Atlantic. He received
, the single letter '.S'' at St Johns. New
; foundland. on December I. 1901, from
the Poldhu station in England.
About one year later. or on January
10. 1903. message from President
(Enoeerelt TO King Edward of Englan nd
! was ira nsInitted through the station at
| Cape God and received successfully at
Sea siahs eosssa;eations s1ssiap between these
sfHeeoS stations had become possible at
= times during the night hours and un-
4 der the most favorable. "a tmospheric
fconditions which prevail: 'during the
n FEom this time on radio installations
I on .Sh{pboard and Ion shore became more
Z numerous throughout the world. During
q the year 1903,the first international con-
ferfpee on radio was held at Berlin.
81 TheSihternat ional distress signal COD
swas adopted al this conference, the sig
lnaI later being. changed to sos"
4 Sayes Lives on U. s. Ships.
The Importance of radio in connection
with the safety Of life at sea was first
exemplified in the sinking of the Ameri-
can passenger steamship Republic on
January %, 1909.
The Republic was one Of the first
American passenger vessels to be equip
ped with radio. After colliding with the
/ steamship Florida off the Atlantic coast
of the United States. the Republic sum-
moned assistance by radio and as re-
suit all Of the passengers and crew were
| saved before the vessel went down.
After this accident. passenger steam
ship companies advertised such of their
vessels as were equipped with radio in
much the same manner that railroad
companies now advertise the fact that
their lines are equipped with automatic
block safety signal devices.
1t was the lamentable Titanic dis
| aster, however. which occurred on
| April Is, 1912, with such great loss