RADIOTELEGRAPH Y MARCONI. 131 



therefore it is probable that, at any rate for the present, the main use 

 of radiotelegraphy will be confined to extra-European countries, in 

 some of which climatic conditions and other causes absolutely pro- 

 hibit the efficient maintenance of land-line telegraphy. A proof of 

 this has been afforded by the success which has attended the working 

 of the stations recently erected in Brazil on the upper Amazon. 



By the majority of people the most marvelous side of wireless 

 telegraphy is perhaps considered to be its use at sea. Up to the 

 time of its introduction, ships at any appreciable distance from land 

 had no means of getting in touch with the shore throughout the 

 whole duration of their voyage. But those who now make long sea 

 journeys are no longer cut off from the rest of the world ; business men 

 can continue to correspond at reasonable rates with their offices 

 in America or Europe; ordinary social messages can be exchanged 

 between passengers and their friends on shore; a daily newspaper is 

 published on board most of the principal liners, giving the chief news 

 of the day. Wireless telegraphy has on more than one occasion 

 proved an invaluable aid to the course of justice — a well-known 

 instance of which is the arrest, which took place recently through its 

 agency, of a notorious criminal when about to land in Canada. 



The chief benefit, however, of radiotelegraphy lies in the facility 

 which it affords to ships in distress of communicating their plight to 

 neighboring vessels or coast stations; that it is now considered 

 indispensable for this reason is shown by the fact that several govern- 

 ments have passed a law making a wireless-telegraph installation a 

 compulsory part of the equipment of all passenger boats entering 

 their ports. 



