THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 291, 7 December 1900, Page 4

THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPH.

The other day a cablegram from London announced that the wizard Marconi had discovered a method of working his wireless telegraph so that the tall masts, hitherto necessary for

the transmission of messages longdistances, could be done aWay with. Now we have news confirmatory of the practical value of the improvement which had been effected in the wonderful invention. Arrangements arc being made for the erection of a number of Marconi's stations along the steamer route between England and Australia, so that messages can

be sent from one country to the other. If the success -which the experimenters appear to anticipate attends this of wireless telegraphy it would seem to promise a revolution

in our means of communicating between distant parts of: the globe. Should the submarine cable not ac-

tually siirrender at once to its marvellous rival, the natural supposition is that, within a few years, the Latter will have usurped its place. Perhaps the scientific mind can detect obstacles in the way of such a wide practical utilisation of wireless telegraphy— obstacles of which most of us are ignorant, but judging from what has been written on the subject, it seems reasonable to suppose that the new invention is capable of being employed with as much success as ordinar}r telegraphy. For oversea work it would seem to present advantages which the cable cannot claim. There is first the* question of cost. By doing- away with the expensively constructed wire of communication, laid in the ocean bed and repaired at considerable cost and troxible, an enormous gain must accrue. Under the new system there will be no danger of interruptions through the breaking* of a wire by accident or intention; and so long as the stations are intact it will be possible for ships not too far distant to put themselves in: communication with ea.eh other and with the rest of the world. In peace and in Avar the advantage of s,nch a possibility would be great. Consider how it would lessen the risks incurred by those who go down into the sea in ships if in any time of danger they could make their position known; and the tedium of a long sea. voyage too would be very materially counteracted if the voyagers were daily made acquainted with all of importance that was going on throughout the world. In war again, it would mean a very great deal if the vessels ont on service could put themselves in instant communication, with other members of the navy, and get their orders sent to them from headquarters at any moment of th*> day or night. As the nation .that controls the sea, and hopes to maintain its prestige by supremacy on that element Great Britain will of course reap the advantage of Marconi's invention to a larger extent, than any other Powci\

At the Police Court this morning, before Messrs J. Callnan and A. Clements, J.P's., Robert McMinn was fined £1 or 7 days hard labour for drunkenness, aiul a first-offending inebriate was discharged with a caution. A charge of indecent assault preferred against Joseph Meynell, and .several other cases which required to be dealt with by a magistrate, were adjourned.

At the meeting of the Works and Tariff Committee of the Auckland Harbour Board, held yesterday afternoon, Mr. J. H. Witheford (chairman of the Board) stated that he intended to move in the direction of se j. curing a first-class harbour engineer for the Board's service. The Board had to get, from time to time, costly reports from outside engineers, and now they had to send their foreman of works to make inquiries outside Auckland. In various directions the Board was paying what would suffice for the salary of a competent engineer.

The new Advisory Committee of the Art Gallery held their first meeting yesterday afternoon, His Worship the Mayor (Mr. D. Goldie) presiding. Mr. E. Bartley was elected president, Mr. E. W. Payton vice-president, and Mr. J. L. Holland, lion, secretary. Messrs. C. P. Goldie .and J. P. Scaly are the other members of the committee, which was empowered to control the Gallery subject to the authority of the City Council.

\t the Onelmnga Police Court this morning- before Dr. W. R, Close Krson, ■J.P.. John Clcmants wasicharged with being- drunk on ThursUay evening. He was convicted and imprisoned till the rising of the Court.

In connection with the Mercer Ke-g-atta train arrangements, the following ordinary trains will not run on Saturday next, Bth hist.' The 5.25 a.tn. Cambridge to Frankton, ordinary passengers will require to travel by the 7.0 a.m. special. Tlie 5.45 a.m. train Mercer to Auckland. The 12.50 p.m. train Auckland to Mercer The 8.0 p.m. train Mercer to Frankton.

The meetings now being held by Mr. W. M. Oatts, from Glasgow, in the V.M.C.A. rooms, are increasing in power and interest. This evening Mr. Oatts will give an evangelistic address at S p.m. ' In response to several requests Mr. Oatts will give a series of special addresses to business men in the Exchange Mining Hall each day next week from 12.30 till 1 o'clock.

The monthly meeting- of the One-hung-a School' Committee took place last night, Mr James occupying th« chair in the absence of Canon Hasolden. The only business transacted was the receiving- of the headmaster's report, after winch"'the meeting adjourned.

The scholars of S. Mary's Sunday School with their teachers and friends hold their annual picnic this year at Motutapu through the kind courtesy of Mr Reid.

We are asked to remind our readers of the elocutionary recital to be given to-night by the Rev. E. Tremayne Dunstan. of Sydney, in the Beresfordstreet Church*. The recital will include selections from Tennyson, Longfellow, Planche, Kipling, and others. Musical items will be rendered at intervals by the leading local musicians.

It was stated in yesterday's issue that Mr A. Munro Wilson, engineer to the Nihotupu water schemel, was on a visit to the g-ohlfields. We are informed that that- gentleman is on a business visit to the Kaipara.

We are requested to draw the attention of yachtsmen to the danger of passing"the forts in Bangltoto Channel when firing" is going on. The ricochet from the gums is often 5000 yards. For the past throe weeks the firing" has been done between 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning1, so as not to inconvenience yachtsmen, but this week the firmg1 must take place on Saturday afternoon, before ?> p.m. We understand that when firmg1 is going1 on every care is taken of passing- vessels, but yachts pass in the line of fire at their own risk.

In the account given by the correspondent of the "Times" of the military manoeuvres held in France recently, a description is given of the new 75mm. quick-firing- gun, the plans of which, it was stated, had been sent to the United States Government. The chief point of the weapon is the pneumatic buffer which gets rid of the recoil sufficiently to necessitate a very slight readjustment of the barrel, once the gun has been laid. Only the gun, and not the carriage, ran back

after the shot, even though twenty roimds were fired in quick succession. The principle of this gun was one of the secrets which Captain Dreyfus was accused of disclosing- to the German attache.

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Pleasant facts: Men's tennis trousers,4/11; white drilliand khaki suits from 11/; very special men's tweed trousers, 4/11; working shirts, 1/11; denim pants, 2/11; men's suits, 21/. —At Geo. Fowlds'.—(Ad.)

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