Evening star., 1926-04-18

People who think that importa Mt
developments and events in connec-
ton with radio have all come within
the last Ave or six years will be In
terested in a chronology that has been
prepared and published by the Bureau
Of Navigat ton of the Department of
Commerce. According to this record
the first notable event dates back al
most a centurv-to 1927, to he exact.
It Is true that It has only been
few wears that the radio fan has heen
able to tune In and get anything from
a weather report toaa base ball game
from a political speech to an Easter
sermon. or from a bedtime story TO
large segment Of grand opera. How
ever. the fan Is invited to remember
that before he could do anything OF
that kind a great many peaks In the
waves Of wireless progress had 10 be
negotiated.
First of these peaks. according to
the Government experts and MS
torians. was the discovery by SaVary
that a steel needle could he magnet
lied nv the discharge from LeNden
lar. Ten years later, in 1897. the
first patent for an electric telegraph
was taken out in England by Cooke
and Wheatstone. and by Morse in the
United States. In lS42 Morse made
wireless experiments by electric con
duction through water, and the fol'
lowing year Lindsay suggested tnat
If It were possible to provide stations
not more than 90 miles apart all the
wav across the Atlantic there would
be no need of a cable.
After four decades of eXperime Mt
ing by numerous scientists and in.
ventors, Prof Dolbear was awarded
a patent in this country in March,
1882. for wireless apparatus, of which
he said that electrical communica-
ton, using this apparatus, might he
established between points certainly
more than a half-mile apart, but how
much farther | cannot say" He Is
credited with having made an ap-
nroach to the method that subse-
auently Marconi was to develop to
success.
Edison took out only one patent
on long distance telegraphy without
wires. His application was filed May
%, 1885, but the patent was not issued
until December %. 1891. In 1903 1t
was purchased from him by the Mar
conf Wireless Telegraph Co.
Marconi's First Wireless.
Bv 1895 Marconi's Investigations
Herzian waves could he used for tele
graphing without wires and a year
later he applied for the first British
patent for wireless telegraphy. He
conducted experiments in commun1-
eating over a distance of lis miles
successfully.
In 1897, which was a big year, Mar
conf succeeded in maintaining COM
munica ton between the shora and a
ship at sea at distances up to 10
miles. An apparatus was erected at
Bath, England. and signals received
from Salisbury. a. miles away; the
first Marconi station was erected at
Needles. Alum Ray. Isle of Wight,
and the first floating wireless station
was completed.
On June 8, 1898. the first paid
radiosram was transmitted from the
Isle of Wight station, and In July
Of that year the events Of the Kings
town regatta were reported by wire
less for Dublin newspaper from
the steamer, Flying Huntress. Four
teen months later the international
yacht races were reported by wire
less telegraphy for the New York
Herald.
The first German commercial wire
less station was opened on Borkum
Island in February, 1900, and in No
vember the first wireless land station
in Belgium at Lapanne. On the first
day Of January, 1901, the use of wire
less in emergencies at sea was signal.
ized when the bark Medora was re-
ported as waterlogged on Ratel Bank
and assistance was Immediately dis
matched. That same month the Prin-
cesse Clementine ran ashore and news
of the accident was transmitted TO Os'
tend by wireless.
Developments followed in quick sue
cession from this time on and only
the high spots can he touched in re-
viewing them. On September 2S, 1901.
Prof. r. A. Fessenden applied for
United States patent for improve
ments in apparatus for the wireless
ira nsmission of electro ma gnetic wave.
said improvements relating more es-
necially to the transmission and re-
production of words or other audible
signals" ...
First Transatlantic Message.
Distances in wireless communication
were rapidly increased and on De-
cember II, 1902, the first wireless mes
sage was transmitted across the AT
la ntic. On January 10, 1908. President
Roosevelt sent a transatlantic radio
gram to King Edward via Cape Goa
and Poldhu stations. A year later, al
most to a day, the first press message
was sent across the Atlantic. Febru-
ary 8, 1908, transatlantic radio sta
tions were opened to the general pub
lie for the transmission of messages
between the United Kingdom and the
principal cities in Canada.
July !, 1911, the radio service was
orga nized in the Department of Com.
merce and Labor to enforce the act Of
Congress of June "a, 1910. This act
was extended by additional legisla ton
| in July and August of the succeeding
year.
April Is, 1912, occurred the memo
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