44 Chevalier G. Marconi [March 8, 



of transmission by night and by day becomes at once apparent, 

 although no difference is made in the wave length radiated. 



A curious feature of what may be called the daylight effect is the 

 suddenness with which it may cut off the signals at great distances. 

 These do not, as might be supposed, die off gradually as daylight 

 increases, but seem to fade away rapidly, and disappear entirely within 

 the space of about two minutes. 



The author does not for a moment think that this daylight effect 

 will prove to be a serious drawback to the practical application of 

 long-distance wireless telegraphy, as its result amounts to this, that 

 rather more power is required by day than by night to send signals 

 by means of electric waves over long distances. 



It has been stated that one of the serious objections to wire- 

 less telegraphy lay in the fact that no means existed for directing 

 the energy emitted by the stations. If we assume this fact to be 

 correct, we certainly find that, if it presents certain disadvantages, it 

 also presents many perhaps counterbalancing advantages. For ex- 

 ample, if a cable is laid between England and Canada it can only 

 serve for communication between these two countries ; but if a wire- 

 less connection is established between two such countries the stations 

 may be instantly used in time of war, or in any other emergency, to 

 communicate with other stations, situated say, at Gibraltar, the West 

 Indies, or some inland point in North America, and also, if necessary, 

 with warships carrying apparatus tuned to the waves such stations 

 radiate. By means of syntony, although the energy cannot be directed 

 in one direction, it can however be picked up at certain distances only 

 by certain tuned receivers, as occurs now with the ships crossing the 

 ocean. Fifty of these ships carry wireless apparatus, but only five of 

 them have the instrument tuned to receive the long-distance news 

 messages sent from Poldhu ; and, as a matter of fact, these messages 

 are received only by those five specially tuned ships. 



Before concluding, it may not be out of place to give a few details 

 as to the practical uses to which the author's system of wireless tele- 

 graphy has already been put. 



There are now over 80 British and 30 Italian warships equipped. 

 A number of these warships are fitted with long-distance apparatus, 

 and are therefore able to keep in touch with England when far out 

 on the Atlantic, at Gibraltar, and in the Mediterranean. Admiral 

 Lord Charles Beresford has authorised the author to say that during 

 the last cruise of the Channel Fleet from Gibraltar to England they 

 had no difficulty whatever in receiving messages from Cornwall during 

 the entire voyage by means of special long-distance receivers. 



Seventy liners, belonging respectively to England, Italy, France, 

 Germany, Holland, Belgium, and the United States, are fitted with 

 the author's apparatus, and are engaged in carrying on commercial 

 work for the benefit of passengers between ship and ship and between 

 ship and shore ; and for this latter purpose there are over 50 land 



