THE ATHENIC'S "SINGING" SPARK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1154, 15 June 1911, Page 6

THE ATHENIC'S "SINGING" SPARK.

During her last stay at London H.M.S, Athonic w:is equipped with wireless apparatus, She is the second vessel of the direct passenger steamers between New Zealand and London to bo so fitted. Diirincr the voyage out. her cpcrnlnr was m constant conr.nunioation wilh London mitil the ship was 1200-miles an this side of Durlmi, South Africa. This was icconjplished by transmitting messages tiirough tho Durban station to Homewavd-bonnd vessels, which, in turn, sent them to ships nrarer Home. .An olheer of tho Alhenic told a reporter yesterday that it is a peculiar somation to know that, although one was so very far from England,' ho could nevertheless R et news oC tho latest hapiwiiiucs wita ro<v. On June 12 Ilic .Atnenic tallied wilh SyiUisy ami 11.M.5. Powerful at a distance of 820 miles. Strange to relate shb could not pick up Wellington until sho was 17 inilos off Iho port, ami, just as coiiumini.-nMoii had hrrn es;lal)lislral, tho Rale bUnvins in Cook Strait carried tho aerials away, thus putlinc Ihe machine out of use.' Vn«engnrs -on board had written out quite a number of inc.«ai;<>a to be transmitted to Wellington, but, when it was found that communication could not ho effected until the vessel had so nearly entered port, they jocularly remarked thut now that they could see the hotels they "would walk ashore and book rooms without further parley."-