260 



TEE WORLD'S ADVANCE 



across the ground plate seemed simulta- 

 neous, the resultant thunder accompany- 

 ing the lightning was heard from one to 

 three seconds later. 



The last sentence recalls an instance 

 which serves to show the wide difference 

 between the rate of travel of ether waves 

 and those of sound. At San Pedro, Cal., 

 many of the ships entering that port dock 

 within a few hundred feet of the wire- 

 less station at that point. The power, 

 5 K.W., is sufficient to send a discharge 

 across the anchor gaps on the sets aboard 

 the larger ships, the character of the 

 note reproduced in the ship station when 

 the operator was sending in the shore 

 station enabling a message to be read 

 without the use of the 'phones. On calm 

 days the spark could likewise be heard 

 with the naked ear by an operator stand- 

 ing in the doorway of the wireless cabin. 

 When the operator had finished sending, 

 the finish signal could be seen, heard and 

 read across the anchor gap, and, follow- 

 ing that, would come the sound wave, 

 tardily straggling along, considerably la- 



ter than the electrical discharge. 



Aboard the S. S. Pleiades, en route 

 from Balboa to San Francisco, lightning 

 struck the foremast of the ship, fork- 

 ing from there to the aerial. The shock 

 of the bolt was felt over the entire ship. 

 The current, choked by the aerial loading 

 inductance in its course to the ground, 

 struck off at an angle to an iron beam 

 two feet from the helix. The helix was 

 completely shattered, the two end pieces 

 being split in a dozen sections and the 

 cross beams, held in place by wooden 

 pins, twisted and pulled out. The re- 

 ceiving tuner, separated only by a small 

 single throw switch, was unharmed. All 

 the wheel house and lifeboat compasses 

 aboard ship were reversed, with no two 

 registering alike, and considerable trou- 

 ble was occasioned in holding the ship 

 to her course the rest of the trip. Steel 

 plates and parts of the ship were mag- 

 netized, and when the compass adjuster 

 was called to adjust the compasses, he 

 had more than the usual amount of trou- 

 ble in so doing. PAUL OARD. 



NEW HOOKUP FOE LOOSE 

 COUPLER 



Without offering any explanation of 

 the principles upon which his diagram 

 is based, the contributor submits the ac- 

 companying hookup for a receiving set 

 comprising a loading coil, loose coupler, 

 variable and fixed condensers and de- 



7m 



An Unusual Hookup Scheme for a Loose Coupler 

 Receiving Set, which Gives Excellent Results. 



tector. He claims very good results with 

 the method of connection shown in the 

 diagram, whereas with the conventional 

 form of hookup his receiving radius was 

 small. 



While the precise reason for improve- 

 ment is not clear, still the experiments 

 of this contributor might well be imi- 

 tated with a view to developing any 

 possible merit the new diagram might 

 possess. FRANK GAMMON. 



AN INVITATION TO WIRELESS 

 ORGANIZATIONS 



Wireless clubs are requested to com- 

 municate regularly with the Editor of 

 THE WORLD'S ADVANCE, stating the ac- 

 tivities of the club, which will be brought 

 to the attention of readers. Notices of 

 the formation of new clubs are published 

 when received. Especially are the pro- 

 ceedings and discussions of wireless or- 

 ganizations solicited for the benefit of 

 other similar clubs. 



