Evening star., 1933-05-21
HUGE RADIO TOWER
WEIGHED FOR FAIR
Project Abandoned at Chi
cago Because of Lack of
Financial Support.
BY MARTIN CODEL,

~ NE of the hitherto unrevealed
projects proposed for the Cen
tury Of Progress Exposition
~ opening in Chicago next Sat-
urday was 2,000-foot steel
tower built along the lines of the Eiffel
Tower in Paris. Twice as tall as the
famous Partisan landmark, 1t would
have been assembled In a similar way by
elevator and would have been used not
only for sightseeing purposes but as q
giant radio antenna support. AS a
adapted to the broadcasting Of tele-
ultra-short waves that require ex-
tremely high radiation points.
Though this project was declared
practicable by competent engineers, it
never materialized for want of financial
support. Business conditions being
what they are, the radio people could
not muster their share Of the funds
along with the others to whom the
project was broached. This, despite the
insistence Of its promoters that 1t could
be made self-sustaining by charging
sightseeing fees. Nor were the radio
people yet willing, even for so notable
an event as the worlds fair, to bring
their ultra-short wave television de-
velopments out OF the laboratories.
Programs Arranged.
For ordinary broadcasting on the
radio wave lengths now in use, such a
gigantic tower was hardly necessary
The Century of Progress Exposition,
lasting from May ~ to November /, will
not Ianguish for lack Of recognition on
the radio. Indeed, arrangements al
ready made by r. Calvert Haws, chief
Of the exposition's radio activities, In
dicate that hardly an evening Of net
work and station schedules in the
months until November ! will be with
out programs from or about the big
Chicago affair.
More elaborate broadcasting facili-
ties than were ever installed for any
event, even for presidential inaugura-
tions, are being arranged In the fair
grounds. Broadcasts that have re-
Gently originated from the Century oil
Progress Exposition have emanated
from q temporary studio on the
grounds. Hereafter they will come
from three large studios erected ir
Hollywood" on Northerly Island, ont
being capable o: seating 1000 persons
Tho exposition has no broadcastinl
with the major networks and with in.
dependent Chicago stations for tn,
regular staging Of their sustaining anc
sponsored programs from these studios
These broadcast programs will also bt
carried all over the fair grounds ovel
an amplider system. Seventy-two pick.
up points from which rowing announc.
ers can broadcast, connected by 60(
miles of lines, are being established.
Amateurs Have Station.
In addition, group of amateur,
have erected q short-wave station ir
the Travel a4d Transport Building
from which code and phone message,
TO other amateurs ALL over the worlt
viii be transmitted. Fair visitors vii
wide via the ham" wave lengths at NJ
cost to themselves. Can letters Of tn,
amateur stations are WsUSA ant
So that the whole country will ge
Q glimpse of the ofdcial opening OF
Saturday, May ~, the networks hav'
arranged to carry the pomp ant
pageantry Of the ceremonies. Through
out the day there will be various broad
cast periods from the fair. One Of tht
stunt" broadcasts will be the arrival
Of beam Of light from the stas Arc
turus-a beam that left Arcturus dur.
ing the Chicago World Fair Of 1893.
Telescopes Of the observatories a
Harvard, Pittsburgh and Illinois uni
versities and the Yerkes Observator!
at Lake Geneva, Wis, will be focused
ON Arcturus. Harlow Shapley, directol
of the Harvard Observatory, will giv'
the signal which transforms the ligh
to energy which Is to be amplified anc
transmitted so that the radio audienc'
and those at the fair grounds can heal
It. This message" from the etherea
realm will also signalize the closing o
| the circuits that will turn on all th'
dazzling Illuminating effects at the fail
grounds.