New-York tribune., 1922-06-29
.MarcOni Visits
Big RadioPlant
AT Rocky Point
Long Island Station, the
Most Powerful i'm World,
Is Operated at Highest
Efficiency for Inventor
Engineering Attracts Him
Saws Smaller instruments
Will Replace Big Drums;
Awarded John Fritz Medal

Gugiiclmo Mareoni motored seventy
miles from New York yesterday 10 sea
the gigantic transmitting plant Of the
Radio Corporation Of America n,
Rocky Point, l.. I.
For the cdifieation Of the man whose
brain made wireless communication
possible two fifty-ton altcrnators'
spinning $4,000 revolutions minute,
were operated in unison so that all Of
the twelve skeleton wireless towers
served as single, three mile-lons
antcnnac.
The plant Of the Radio Corporation
in the pine barrcns Of upper Long
Island is tho highest powered wireless
transmitting station in the world.
Each OF the twelve towers is 40 fee.
high. At the tops great arms support
the strands OF wire from which aJ3
hurled the electric impulses that art
picked up as part OF days work BY
similar towers in Wales and Nauen
Germany.
Engineering Impresses Inventor
Mr. Marconi was impressed by the
accurate engineering which kept the
monster alternators, like huge drums,
spinning together 30 that one never
gained n fraction OF revolution on
the other. But he was nevertheless in
clined 10 view these instruments ns
something about to be discarded FOR
more effective and infinitely smaller
tubes.
Such vacuum tubes, abou. eighteen
inches long. are now IN the possession
Of the Radio Corporation Of America,
and tho engineers OF the company be-
lievc that before long the tubes will
replace the enormously expensive al
tcrnators. In experiments 10 be con-
dueted soon the tubes will be tried out
in conjunction with the altcrnator5.
As Mr.. Mareoni was conducted
through the squat brick power plant
which stands midway In the three-mile
line OF steel towers the maze OF ma
chinery was flashing with greonish blue
fame as operators in Broad Street,
New York. clicked of messages for
people in the Old World. The power
which hurls them through space comes
from the electric plant at Northport.
L. |.
Awarded John Fritz Medal
Before Senator Mareoni started for
Rocky Point yesterday he learned that
the John Fritz medal for 1922. one Of
the highest distinctions bestowed By
the engineering profession in the
United States. had been awarded 90
him.
"The medal is awarded 10 you for the
invention Of wireless biography said
the communication 10 Senator Marconi
from Professor Comfort 4. Adams. .!
Harvard, chairman. and Charles +
Rand. secretary. Of the John Fritz
Medal Board OF Award.
The formal presentation OF tho medal
will be made before a gathering OF en-
glneers from al parts OF the country
az $3.50 >. NJ. July 6. in the auditorium
Of the Engineering Societies b. ling
in % West Thirty-ninth Street.
Those who accompanied Senator Mar
conf yesterday or his trip 20 Rocky
Point were G.. A. Mathier. his personal
engineer; Commandante X. Lauro, skip
per of the inventors yacht; Pietro
Magr.ni. Marooni's radio operator; A.
c. Reoch and W. A. Taylor, assistant
chief engineers Of the Radio Corpora
tion OF America. and Roy A. Weagant,
n consulting engineer on the stan OF
the company.