The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-03-06
KWAMANS TOLD OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Sound Waves Were Known to
Scientists III Sixteenth
Century. Lucas Says

knowledge Of sound waves dates
back several centuries, Stanley Lucas
told members Of the Kiwanis club
here Tuesday. As early as the six
tenth century scientists speak Of
them as phenomena, but 1t was only
within the last Is years that the
knowledge was put to general use, he
said.
Wireless telegraph experiments
first discovered that sounds could be
transmitted over water long distances,
the first discovery being that the let
ter IS" could be heard across the
ocean. The three distinct dots heard
across the Atlantic created sensa-
ton at the time.
It was only when the steamship
Titanic was sunk In 1911. according
to Lucas, that the use Of the wireless
was first brought prominently to pub
lie attention. The first step to receive
Is. O. s. from the sinking ship was
only 80 miles away, but it paid no at
tention to the call, the officers be-
lieving the Titanic could cope with
any situation on account Of its size
and construction. Another ship, Is
miles away was not equipped with
wireless and didn't know about the
disaster until some time later. A ship
$50 miles distance answered the dis
tress call and succeeded in saving a
number Of the passengers from small
boats. The wireless operator Of the
Titanic, who worked 10 straight hours,
goes down in history as hero.
Law Aided Development
! Shortly after this disaster legislation
was passed requiring all passenger
ships to be equipped with wireless and
development since that time has been
rapid. Lucas said.
The radio followed as q natural de-
velopment of wireless and rapid
strides were made In its use during
the World War. Westinghouse was
the first to discover the extent OF
sound wave lengths and Heising, a
telephone and telegraph engineer.
made the most progress in perfecting
knowledge Of wave lengths.
Since 1920 the development OF radio
has been rapid and In 1927 national
legislation regulating and controlling
the wave lengths and power OF radio
stations has prevented confusion In
broadcasting and so-called Jump
ing" of wave lengths by competing
stations.
On March 18th the Crosley Cor.
poration will go on the air with a
$4,000 watt station for experimental
purposes, In an attempt to find out
how far a station with that power
can be heard. When 1t Is taken into
consideration that Bismarck station
KF'YR has capacity of 1850 watts
and is considered one Of the clearesl
| broadcasting stations In the country
it can be seen what a powerful sta
ton the Crosley Corporation is at
tempting to employ in their expert
nent, said Lucas.
Seek Better Tone
Experiments are being conducted
by KFYR and other stations in Inn
proving tone quality at present, &C.
cording to Lucas.
He predicted that television Woulc
be perfected within a very short time
so that it would be practicable com.
mercislly. He had seen experiment!
made that enabled operators to SET
facial expressions over considerable
distances, although coloring thus fal
seems impossible to reproduce.
DR.. r. F. Krause acted as chair
man of the program committee
Guests of the club were Hedge Zeth
rem and w. Lagerberg Of the Bel
Telephone Co, 1t. G. N. S. Ballol
of Fort Lincoln, DR.. G. r. Tucker
and Attorney E. Sgutt, Fargo.
i Clarion Larson, in charge OF th'
music program, introduced an instrl
mental quartette including Ra!
johnson, Emerson Logee, Milton Lip
pert and Chester Johnson. with Ethe
johnson as piano accompanies. Thu
quartette played THE Bells of st
Mary's," with three trombones ant
tuba, the number being enthusias
ticallv received. Ray Johnson play
ed trombone solo,