WIRELESS PHOTOGRAPHS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19802, 29 May 1926, Page 12

WIRELESS PHOTOGRAPHS.

CHEQUES AND PICTURES. A MARVELLOUS INVENTION. TRANSMISSION EXPERIMENTS. (Fbom Oub Own Cop.hespondent.) LONDON, April 23. The Hon. A. B. Houghton, the American Ambassador, went to Radio House, Finsbury, to see messages transmitted to New York by the photo-radio system invented by Captain K. 11. Ranger, the development engineer of the Radio Corporation of New York. Captain Ranger has come to England to demonstrate the practicability of opening up a commercial service for the transmission of pictures and messages by wireless, by moans of which he has been engaged for many years. One of his transmitting machines has been installed beneath the skylights of Radio House. Next to it is a replica of the receiving machine in New York, by means of which those present at the demonstration wore able to see the progress of their messages ns sent out, from Carnarvon, to which station they travelled by land-line. The transmitter is described by the Dailv Telegraph as a marvellous and beautiful instrument, containing two glass cylinders for the despatch of two pictures or mesages if simultaneously required. The picture is transferred by photography to a film—or, in the case of a message, it is written on the film—which is yound round the glass cylinder, at the extremity of which is fixed an electric 100-candle power lamp. A crystal prism, fixed on a rod, is made to travel backwards and forwards inside the glass cylinders, reflecting a spot of Intense brilliancy on the message, the gradual movement of which Is regulated with the greatest nicety by the machine Itself. The minute currents of light travel along a tube into a cabinet, where they are changed into an electric current and amplified. The receiving apparatus resembles an elaborated tape machine, the picture or message being reproduced on a continuous roll of paper by the little instrument which travels backwards and forwards over the outline, repeatedly, until it gradually assumes the form of the message or picture on the film round the transmitting cylinders at the other enu. . The first message despatched was a cheque for lOOOdol on the Bankers’ Trust Company, signed by General Harbord, the receipt of which in New York was acknowledged by Morse within about 20 minutes of its being placed in the transmitter. Mr Houghton then sent a message to his old school at Concord, New Hampshire, in the following terras; “This is the first message reproduced by wireless across the Atlantic. May I send *it to you and to the school with my best wishes.—Houghton.’’ This was also acknowledged with similar promptitude in a Morse reply. - To General Dawes, Vice-President. U.S.A.. Mr Owen D. Young, and General Harbord wir.elfcssed: “We send you our greetings in the second picture radiogram ever sent across the Atlantic or any ether ocean.” General Harbord also sent a message to Mr Adolph S. Ochs, of the New York Times, in the following terms:—‘Dear Mr Ochs,—Here is the picture radiogram X spoke to you about one evening in February in the subway, When I met you and Mr Sulzburger. It means a great deal to the world of news and business. —Sincerely yours, J. G. Harbord.” Mr Young transmitted an autograph manuscript of Robert Browning to St. Laurence University, Canton. New York, with the message: “This is the first time in history that such a document has been sent by radio across the Atlantic. The words sent were from “A Grammarian’s Funeral,” in memortam of Johannis Conington, as follows; Loftily lying— Leave him—still loftier than the world suspects: Living and dying. As the messages were clipped in turn round the glass cylinders of the transmitter. the progress of their transmission and receipt at Carnarvon was watched with keep interest by the senders and others present, who crowded round the receiving machine, and saw the words growing under the industrious repetitions of the little recording instrument. Captain Ranger is confident that in the near future it will be possible to give a demonstration of the dual process of transmission and receipt between England and America, Instead of the one-way service, to which the demonstration was confined.