STEERING SHIPS BY ELECTRIC WAVES.

North Otago Times, 3 December 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

STEERING SHIPS BY ELECTRIC WAVES.

■AN AMAHNO DHyBLOPMBHT OF V A;GREAT INTENHON. v . It has lately been demonstrated at the London Hippodrome how; it is possible to' guide - and control a dirigible balloon by wireless telegraphy, while a short tlino ago a Spanish engineer proved, by' controlling ;.from a transmission.station on. the flat root of the 'Maritime : Club the movements of.' a. vessel in Bilboa Harbouri that wireless telegraphy : could'be made an agent for;'the propulsion and direction of ships. ' " v ' , : Now/a- couple; of American inven-tors-Lee and Hay Clark-claim that they hayo invented an apparatus, now being. exhibited before officials of .the War Department .at Washington; which not only'enables them to control the movements of boats, and balloons;by wirelesß "tele■graphy.'but with which it is'possible to guide and control any carriage, or other vehicle driven by electricity, steam, or gasolene..

Furthermore, they - say that their invention makes possible private conw miiniration by wireless. A huge" fortune awaits them if they only achieve this, for. at present anyono with an apparatus installed can "tap" wireless messages sent' within a certain radius,' : LIKE THE.'TELEPHONE. With the Clark wireless it.is said that an operator can select his subjects, He calls up any instrument desired and it records his message automatically, rendering the'-:com-munication as. private in nature as under the present, telephone*system. This is true also in the.operation of any machine run by electricity, steam or gasolene, For by this same "selcotive'V power ona or any number of machines can bo operated, in any direction or at any speed at will, To damonstrate the powers 0 f their machine the Claries constructed two b rail boats' driven by propellers aid gi'iilcd by rudders. These boats were fitted out with electric lights, placed in a la'tc about a quarter of a mile ay ay,- but in view of the operators, i and from that, distance they were! guided with ease in any direction or at any speed, They were lighted a nd extinguished at will, the demonstration being made by moonlight.' IN NAVAL WARFARE. . i--A heavy (arm waggon was fitted out with the new appliance, and the' Clarks sat in their room and guided the waggon with the same precision as a man's hands are guided by the forces of his mind,'. An automobile was similarly handled. ' Aside from actual demonstrations givcifcby the Clarks, they claim'to be able to send out any'given number of torpedo : boats and operate them at will. These ioats can be made to. manoeuvre far out -at sea, being brought back one at a time or in any number desired, Distance will not serve to diminish the power or efficient operation oi the machine, any more than in wireless tele-graphy,-"Tit-Bits."