MILESTONE IN RADIO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20438, 14 December 1929, Page 13

MILESTONE IN RADIO.

FIRST ATLANTIC MESSAGE.-

TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY. (Received December 13. 5.45 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, Dec. 12. Signor Marconi will broadcast to-day from England, for retransmission through American broadcasting stations, a description of his experience at St. Johns, Newfoundland, when he received the famous signal from Poldhu, Cornwall, on December 12, 1901. This was the first wireless signal to be received across the Atlantic, and it demonstrated that wireless waves would travel round the protuberance of the earth's surface. Signor Marconi's broadcast will be transmitted to the United States through the short-wave experimental station at the Marconi works at Chelmsford. Ho will have with him Messrs. Kemp and Paget, who were associated with him at St. Johns, Newfoundland, and who are still associated with him.

In January, 1901, Signor Marconi had telegraphed without difficulty, by means of wireless waves, from the Isle of Wight to the Lizard, a distance of 200 miles, and ho then turned his, attention to the accomplishment of his great ambition, telegraphy across the Atlantic. Four wooden lattice towers were built at Poldhu, each 215 ft. high and 200 ft. apart. They sustained a conical antenna of 400 wires. This was completed, with transmitting gear attached, in December, 1901. Marconi then crossed to Newfoundland and erected a temporary receiving antenna consisting of wire 400 ft. long upheld by a box kite. He employed a sensitive coherer and telephone as a receiver, and, on December 12, he was ablo to hear the letter "S," sent as a signal in the Morse code, which ho had arranged should be sent out from Poldhu at stated hours. The result created a sensation.