The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-27
THRONGS SEE
TROLLEY CAR
RUN BY RADIO
Wizard of Wireless Gives
Spectacular Display of
His Powers.
USES TINY APPARATUS
FranCiIl Will Be in City AIT
Week, Showing Science
MarVeIS.
USES TINY APPARATUS
FRANCILL'S SCHEDULE
TUESDAY
2.00--A.ASG. Q.QE ID ~

Operating nina
ture battleship and a standard, stock
model Hudson-Essex automobile. by wire
less control. without t ouch Of human
mana. Other wireless wonders.
1925 to 1885
Address, 1.-THE Radio Age" over station
WFBM of the indianapolis Light and
l PGwer Company, under auspices of The
WEDNESDAY
1890 A. M.
;, Broad Ripple high school Special scien-
tine expose of methods Of fake spirit
mediums and other so-called "fortune-
tellers, betore students and faculty, under
auspices Of The Times.
Observation-Disclosures P. M.
Lyric theater vaudeville presentations.
700 to 7:1O P. M.
Second and concluding address on THE
RADIO Age" over station WFBM, Of tn.
Indiana polls Light and Eower Company
under auspices Of The Times. '''''
Thousands of spectators were
thrilled and amazed at noon Tues
day, when a 50,00O-pound trolley
car of the indianapolis Street Rail
way Company was operated by wire
less control, without motorman, or
conductor, through the heart of the
business district.
The feat was performed z by
Maurice j. Francill, radio wizard,
under auspices Of The Times. An
enormous crowd saw the feat.
The route followed by the radio
controlled trolley car was over tho
entire distance, spectators massed
on the sidewalks, with the converg-
ing point of Washington and Illinois
streets and Kentucky avenue, where
both pedestrian and vehicular
traffic were paralyzed for a few
minutes.
Not only were the sidewalks and
cross-street intersections TANNED
with humanity, but roofs of build
ingS, windows, and other points o.
vantage each held its quota of eager
spectators. At severla points, police
had difficulty in clearing a way for
FEancill.
Worked by Tiny Apparatus
The car was one of the newest and
finest pieces of equipment in service
of the Indianapolis Street Railway
Company. From the center of the
front bumper beam, there extended
small shelf. On that shelf rested
tiny wooden cabinet, Weighing less
than three and a half pounds and
containing the delicate, brain-like
apparatus through the medium of
which Francill supplanted motor
man and conductor.
From the small cabinet there ex-
tended vertically a slender brass
tube, about four and one-half feet
long-the aerial, an antenna, which
plucked from the ether the infin-
itesimal wireless waves that con-
trolled the receiving mechanism and
caused the trolley car to respond to
she wizards will The cabinet, with
its slender aerial, was in plain view
Of spectators at all times.
Francill visualized to the huge
aSsemblage both the sending and re-
ceiving of his wireless waves, Stand
ing in the rear of a big Hudson au-
tomobile, he rode along the car
tracks ahead of the trolley, distant
from the car from fifty to several
hundred feet, as occasion demanded.
In his hands he held his small port
able transmitter, or magic box"
with which he has thrilled Indian
apolis since Sunday afternoon.
Tap Starts Car
The magic box" also was a
wooden cabinet, equipped, like the
receiving apparatus on the trolley,
with a slender brass tube four and
a half feet long and serving as a
broadcasting aerial, On the side
Of the magic box" was an ordi-
nary telegraph key.
This key Fancill would tap with
a finger. There would be a blue
yellow, kissing spark. Instantly, an
audible click would occur in the
cabinet on the street car, as the
wireless wave was received. And
Immediately the trolley would start,
or stop, as F'rancill desired.
The Indianapolis Street Railway
Company, through Superintendent
Tretton, also had made elaborate
special provision for the expert
ment, cooperating with The Times
for the advancement of science and
to give the city it's first glimpse of
a radio-controlled trolley car.
Here All Week
Francill will be in Indianapolis
all this week giving varied thrill
ing demonstrations of wireless Won
ders. He is the supreme vaudeville
attraction at the Lyric theater,
where he is appearing on the stage
four times each day
His stage presenta ion includes
the operation of a standard, stock
model Hudson-Essex automobile by
radio control, without driver, or
touch of human hand.
Francill selected Essex
automobiles for his Indianapolis en-
gagement because of their ease and
heXibility of engine movement and
other mechanical refinements. The
cars he is using we're loaned to him
by the r. V. Law Motor Company,
dealers of that concern.
A review of many wonders of
wireless now in the making and q
forecast of marvels of radio he says
are lurking "just around the corner
of time" will be given by Francill
in two addresses over station
WF'BM of the Indianapoli S Light
and Power Co., under auspices of
The Times. The first will be Tues
day evening from 7:25 to TBS and
the second "Wednesday evening L