42 Chevalier G. Marconi [March 3, 



2000 words were sent and correctly received in the presence of these 

 Government delegates. 



Further tests were then carried out at the long-distance station 

 erected at Cape Cod, in the United States of America, and a message 

 from President Roosevelt was successfully transmitted from this 

 station to His Majesty the King. 



In the spring of 1903 the transmission of news messages from 

 America to the London Times was attempted, and the first messages 

 were correctly received and published in that newspaper. A break- 

 down in the insulation of the apparatus at Cape Breton made it 

 necessary, however, to suspend the service, and, unfortunately, fur- 

 ther accidents made the transmission of messages unreliable, especially 

 during the spring and summer. In consequence of this, the author's 

 company decided not to attempt the transmission of any more public 

 messages until such time as a reliable and continuous service could be 

 maintained and guaranteed under all ordinary conditions. 



It is curious to note that the transmission of messages across the 

 Atlantic appeared to be much easier during the winter months of 

 December, January and February, than during the spring and 

 summer, but no serious difficulties were encountered before April. 

 These were partly caused by the insulation of the aerial not being so 

 good during the damp spring weather, when the snow and ice are 

 melting and thawing, as at this period the insulation is much more 

 difficult to maintain in an efficient condition than during the dry and 

 crisp Canadian winter. 



A new station, supplied with more powerful and more perfect 

 apparatus, is in course of erection, and the author has not the slightest 

 doubt but that in a very short time the practicability and reliability 

 of transatlantic wireless telegraphy will be fully demonstrated. 



In connection with these very powerful stations, it is interesting 

 to observe that the fact which the author had noticed in 1^95, and 

 which he expressed in his patent of June 2, 1896, that "the larger 

 the plat€S (or capacities) of the receiver and transmitter, and the 

 higher from the earth the plates are suspended, the greater the dis- 

 tance that it is possible to communicate at parity of other conditions," 

 still holds good, and therefore, the elevated conductors at these 

 stations are much larger and higher than those used at the smaller 

 power stations. The potential to which they are charged is also very 

 much in excess of that used at the short-distance stations. 



Pending the reconstruction of these long-distance stations, valu- 

 able tests have been carried out, and daily commercial work is carried 

 on over distances of about 2()()() miles. In October 1903, it was 

 found possible to supply the Cunard ss. Lucania during her entire 

 crossing from New York to Liverpool with news transmitted direct 

 to that ship from Poldhu and Cape Breton. 



Since June a regular long-distance commercial service lias been 

 in operation on certain ships of the Cunard Steamship Company, 



