The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1911. WIRELESS AND THE ICE.

Waikato Times, Issue 12124, 7 November 1911, Page 4

The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1911. WIRELESS AND THE ICE.

After several months of negotiation Dr. Mawson has succeeded in securing a complete system of wireless for his expedition to Antarctia. He was able to report last week that the Australasian Wireless Company have agreed to provide equipment for two stations —one at the expedition's main base in Adelie Land and the other at Macquarie Island. The messages from the Antarctic will be transmitted first to Macquarie Island and relayed from there to a station to be erected by the Federal Government in Tasmania —probably on the south coast. Thus the distances will work out as follows : —From Adelie I Land to Macquarie Island (roughly) 900 miles ; from Macquarie Island to Tasmania (roughly), 880 miles; total, 1780 miles. Mr. W. H. Hannam, junr., has been appointed by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to control the whole of the wireless arrangements. He has no doubt that a successful wireless news service can be instituted, even under the severe conditions of the Antarctic winter. The plant he will take to Macquarie Island consists of a two-kilowat Telefunken set, to be driven by a 9 h.p. De Dion engine. It is precisely the same set that is used at the Hotel Australia station, where distances of about 2400 miles have been covered under favorable conditions. A similar set will be installed at the main base in Adelie Land. Arrangements are being made to supply continuous news of the expedition's work to the newspapers, but the main feature will be a daily meteorological report, both from Adelie Land and Macquarie Island to the Federal Meteorologist. For many years past Australian meteorologists have complained of the lack of recording stations at these points, and Mr. Hunt is confident that with the additional data derivable from these sources an infinitely greater degree of accuracy can be attained in the forecasting of the weather, as most of the disturbances - originate from the Antarctic.