WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 15 December 1916, Page 28

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY

ITS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Wireless telegraphy was the subjcct of 1 earnest experiment as early as 183S, but as far as the publio mind is concerned the scicnce began when Marconi sent his first message across tho Atlantic from Cornwall to Nova Scotia in 1902. This wonderful accomplishment, like that of many previous discoveries, had so much <>f tho spectacular element in it that wireless telegraphy and Marconi immediately became famous. However, as _ a historical review, which is the mam trend of the present article, it may be of public interest to learn a. fow facts regarding these early endeavours, whioh by constant application and determined effort have led to tho stage in which wo now find the science of radio-telegraphy, albeit none worthier than its prosont valuo in tho modern struggle of tho survival of the fittest. From its earliest development wireless telegraphy has been carried out logically from its crude forms to the' latest adaptation of the most important systems. To this present day those of us- who have had tho advantago of distant travel and personal knowledge of the mysterious powers possessed by Eastern nations are well aware of the transmission of messages over considerable distances, yes, hundreds of miles, without visible appliances. Several instances whioh have been brought indirectly to the writer's notice may be of some little interest. During the Indian Mutiny more than one system of secrot signalling was in full operation. Tho plan of stamping cakes of bread with pecrot messages and dispatching them from town to town and village to village was soon discovered, just as _ practice has taught us the wily_ practices of our enemies of conveying intelligence from one front to another. But to this present day no logical explanation can be given to the secret methods employed in the following instances: —

During a recent ivar in Afghanistan, whenever .the British officers conveyed to their subordinates particulars as to their intentions to operate at a certain point fifty or a hundred miles away, the natives shortly afterwards knew all about their plans. "Had we," said the officer, "sent out men on the swiftest horses at our command with a view to the intercepting of tho tidings of our, proposed movement's, they would liavo beeu too lata in every instance. We watched the hilltops to see if any method of visible signalling from lull to hill had been resorted to, but we failed to detect anything that could be of any service to ais in solving the mystery. We then resolved to bribe the natives, and accordingly subscribed a considerable sum of money, which- we offered tliem in return for a full solution of tho methods _ they employed. But our efforts were without the results we looked for. Money could not purchase the secret from them. They seem' to look upon it as a religious possession which they must not part with to the heretics of the Western countries." Tho natives of the Dutch East Indies are also credited with a similar power. If any catastrophe took place, whether caused by natural forces, such as an earthquake or a storm, involving shipwreok and loss of life, or if a murder had been committed 1 many miles away, the natives on the island would know all the particulars long before the tidings could he conveyed by the ordinary channels, however expeditiously. : Again most of us have heard of the power possessed by certain native Egyptians. An instance may be called from a military officer who has had considerable experience in Egypt. "Thq day that England, and, in fact, all humanity, lost General Gordon at Khartum, several of tho people in the

streets and bazaars of Cairo knew of his death." How did they get hold of tho information ? Tho distanco from Cairo U> Khartoum is approximately 1000 miles. Whether mesmerism, hypnotism, spiritualism, or telepathy, whatever the exaot meaningof these terms may be, no one in the Western Hemisphere can, with any degree of accuracy, explain. So much for tho earliest and oldest system of wireless signalling, and which is confined to the Eastern nations. AVe will now consider what has beon done by tho modern nations of the West. The Oriental wireless to which we havo jusfc referred, is as different from the modern day wireless as tho East is from tho West. Michael Faraday in 1831 discovered the phenomenon of electro-magnetic induction between two .entirely separate circuits. This great discovery may bo considered as the foundation stono of radio-tele-graphy. | As long ago as 1843, James Bowman Lindsay, of Dundee, successfully transmitted signals across a stretch of water, but his method wasth'at known as conduction, a method which proved useful at that date, but now long superseded by a more efficient and/reliable system, "he first to predict the existence of electric waves that are now used in wireless telegraphy was James Clerk Maxwell, in 1867. In 1883 Hertz gave a practical demonstration which unquestionably proved Maxwell's electromagnets theory. But it was not .until 1887 that ho discovered the progressive propagation of the electro-magnetic action through spaco. That same year he was able to measure the length and velocity of electro-magnetic waves and to show the relationship with the waves of light and radiant heat. From 1887 to 1892, apart from the various inductive methods, conductive methods, or a combination of both, little was done in the development of the electro-magnetic method of signalling to-a distance, until Professor Branly devised an appliance 'for detecting theso electro-magnetic waves. His .receiver was known as a coherer. \ Further investigations by Marconi into the properties of the coherer led to tho conclusion that hertzian- waves could be used for telegraphic purposes. At tho close of this same year, 1896, Sir William Preeco delivered a lecturo at Toynbee Hall on "Telegraphy with wires," when Marconi conducted the experiments. From 1896 to 1902, Mr. Marconi slowly developed his ingenious investigations, chief among his accomplishments being a demonstration on Salisbury Plain before the representatives of various Government Departments • communication being established over a distance of four miles. In July of the same year the Wireless Telegraph and Signalling Co., Ltd., was' incorporated. On June 3, 1893, Lord Kelvin sent to Sir G. Stokes from the Needles station the first paid Mareonigram; On August 3 wireless telegraph communication was established, between the RjOyal yaoht Osborne and LadywoodCottage, Osborne, in order that' Queen Victoria might communicate with the Prince of Wales, then suffering from the result of an accident to his knee. In 1899 the international yaoht races between the Shamrock and the Columbia wore reported by wireless telegraphy to the "New York Herald." On April 25 ( 1900, the Marconi International Marine Communication. Company was incorporated for maritime working. This same year saw the British Admiralty adopting the Marconi system, twenty-six sets being installed on ships and six Admiralty coast stations being erected. . In October, the Poldhu station, familiar to everyone who has taken the least interest in wireless telegraphy, was ereqted. The aerial wires were then supported by 200 masts each 210. feet high. . The following year, 1901, witnessed'

tho commencement of a similar station at Capo Cod, Mass. Communication between tho Isle of Wight and the Lizards, a distance of 196 miles, was established. The first British ship, the s.s. Lake Champlain, of the Beaver Lino, was equipped by the Marconi Co., May 25, 1901. Shortly afterwards several land stations wero erected for communication with ships at sea. Throughout 1902 considerable progress was accomplished in transatlantic work, also long-distance communication throughout Europo, morse signals being received up to a distance of 2099 miles from Poldhu station. Tho first transatlantic Mareonigram was published.' in '"The Times" on March 30, 1903. From 1903 onwards to the. present day wireless telegraphy has frequently been brought prominently before the public, showing in bold relief - ,the benefits derived from this discovery as a reliable life-saver. Long-distance signalling is now a: matter of common, knowledge, the latest being the establishing of communication between. San Francisco and Honolulu and Japan. ' ' Nowhere on the vast waterways of this world need it he necessary to lose touch with outside doings of all countries, many newspapers being published daily for'the use of passengers. Little need be 6aid about wireless telegraphy and its usefulness in modern warfare; since its inauguration the simple rules of land and sea conflicts have all beon revolutionised. ■ Fogs, however dense, snowstorms, however severe, rain, even in torrents, or windi howover strong, does not in the least militate against the sending or receiving of messages. Needless to say, to-day to the radiotelegraphist it seems almost as real as the air he breathes, whilst its disturbance has to be regulated by Acts of Parliament, like the pollution of rivers or. the emission of smoke from factory chimneys. '