Z7^ 



NA TURE 



[February 15, 1900 



at Salisbur)-, Captain Kennedy, R. E., and I tried numerous 

 forms of induction coils wound in the ordinary way, tliat is, with 

 a great number of turns of wire on the secondary circuit, with 

 the object of increasing, if possible, the distance or range of 

 transmission, but in every case we observed a very marked 

 decrease in the distance obtainable with the given amount of 

 energy and height. Similar results were obtained some months 

 later, I am informed, in experiments carried out by the General 

 Post Office Engineers at Dover. 



In all our above-mentioned experiments the coils used were 

 those in which the primary consisted of a smaller or larger 

 number of turns of comparative thick wire, and the secondary of 

 several layers of thinner wire. I believe I am right in saying 

 that hundreds of these coils were tried,~ (he result always being 

 that by their employment the po'^sible distance of signalling was 

 considerably diminished instead of being increased. We 

 eventually found an entirely new form of induction coil that 

 would work satisfactorily, and that began to increase the dis- 

 tance of signalling. 



The results given by some of the new form of induction 

 coils have been remarkable. During the naval manoeuvres I 

 had an opportunity of testing how much they increased the 

 range of signalling with a given amount of energy and height. 

 When working between the cruisers Juvo and Ettropa, I 

 ascertained that when the induction coil was omitted from the 

 receiver, the limit distance obtainable was se%'en miles, but with 

 an improved form of induction coil included, a distance of 

 over sixty miles could be obtained with certainty. This 

 demonstrated that the coils I used at that lime increased the 

 possible distance nearly tenfold. I have now adopted these 

 induction coils, or transformers, at all our permanent station.s. 



A number of experiments have been carried out to test how 

 far the Wehnelt brake was applicable in substitution for the 

 ordinary make and break of the induction coil at the trans- 

 mitting station, but although some excellent results have been 

 obtained over a distance of forty miles of land, the amount of 

 current used, and the liability of the brake getting fatigued or 

 out of order, have been obstacles which have so far prevented 

 its general adoption. 



As is probably known to most of you, the system has been 

 in practical daily operation between the East (ioodwin Light- 

 ship and the South Foreland Lighthouse since December 24, 

 1898, and I have good reason for believing that the officials of 

 Trinity House are convinced of its great utility in connection 

 with lightships and lighthouses. It may be interesting to you 

 to know that, as specially arranged by the authorities of Trinity 

 House, although we maintain a skilled assistant on the light- 

 ship, he is not allowed to work the telegraph. The work is 

 invariably done by one of the seamen on the lightship, many 

 of whom have been instructed in the use of the instrument 

 by one of my assistants. On five occasions assistance has 

 been called for by the men on board the ship, and help obtained 

 in time to avoid loss of life and property. Of these five calls 

 for assistance, three were for vessels run ashore on the sands 

 near the lightship, one because the lightship herself had been 

 run into by a steamer, and one to call a boat to take ofif a 

 member of the crew who was seriously ill. 



In the case of a French steamer which went ashore ofif the 

 Goodwins, we have evidence, given in the Admiralty Court, 

 that, by means of one short wireless message, property to the 

 amount of 52,588/. was saved ; and of this amount, I am glad 

 to say, the owners and crews of the lifeboats and tugs received 

 3000/. This one saving alone is probably sufficient in amount 

 to equip all the lightships round England with wireless tele- 

 graph apparatus more than ten times over. The system has 

 •also been in constant use for the official communication between 

 the Trinity House and the ship, and is also used daily by the 

 men for private communication with their families, &c. 



It is difficult to believe that any person who knows that 

 wireless telegraphy has been in use between this lightship and 

 the South Foreland day and night, in storm and sunshine, in 

 fog and in gales of wind, without breaking down on any single 

 occasion, can believe, or be justified in saying, that wireless 

 telegraphy is untrustworthy or uncertain in operation. The 

 lightship installation is, be it remembered, in a small damp ship, 

 and under conditions which try the system to the utmost. I 

 hope that before long the necessary funds will be at the dis- 

 posal of the Trinity House authorities, in order that communi- 

 cation may be established between other lightships and light- 



houses and the shore, by which millions of pounds' worth of 

 property and thou.sands of lives may be saved. 



At the end of March 1899, by arrangement with the French 

 Government, communication was established between the South 

 Foreland Lighthouse and Wimereux, near Boulogne, over a 

 distance of thirty miles, and various interesting tests were made 

 between these stations and French warships. The maximum 

 distance obtained at that time, with a height of about one 

 hundred feet on the ships, was forty-two miles. The commis- 

 sion of French naval and military officers who were appointed 

 to supervise these experiments, and report to their Government, 

 j were in almost daily attendance on the one coast or the other 

 , for several weeks. They became intensely interested in the 

 i operations, and I have good reasons to know made satisfactory 

 I reports to their Government. I cannot allow this opportunity 

 I to pass without bearing willing testimony to the courtesy and 

 i attention which characterised all the dealings of these French 

 ' gentlemen with myself and staff. 



I The most interesting and complete tests of the system at 



I sea were, however, made during the British naval manoeuvres. 



I Three ships of the "B" fleet were fitted up, the flag.ship 



! Alexandra, , and the cruisers Jjino and Ettropa. I do not 



I consider myself quite at liberty to describe all the various tests 



j to which the system was put, but I believe that never before 



were Hertzian waves given a more difficult or responsible task. 



I During these manoeuvres I had the pleasure of being on board 



the /itno, my friend. Captain Jackson, R.N., who had done 



some very good work on the subject of wireless telegraphy 



before I had the pleasure of meeting him, being in command. 



With the /lino there was usually a small squadron of cruisers, 



and all orders and communications were transmitted to the 



Juno from the flagship, the [uno repeating them to the ships 



around her. This enabled evolutions to be carried out even 



when the flagship was out of sight. This would have been 



impossible by means of flags or semaphores. The wireless 



installations on these battleships were kept going night and 



day, most important maneeuvres being carried out and valuable 



information telegraphed to the Admiral when necessary. 



The greatest distance at which service messages were sent 

 was 60 nautical miles, between the Europa and the /uno, and 

 45 miles, between Xhejuno and the Alexandra. This was not 

 the maximum distance actually obtained, but the distance at 

 which, under all circumstances and conditions, the system 

 could be relied upon for certain and regular transmission of 

 service messages. During tests messages were obtained at no 

 less than 74 nautical miles (85 land miles). 



As to the opinion which naval experts have arrived at con- 

 cerning this new method of communication, I need only refer 

 to the letters published by naval officers and experts in the 

 columns of the Times during and after the period of the 

 autumn manoeuvres, and to the fact that the Admiralty are 

 taking steps to introduce the system into general use in the 

 navy. 



As you will probably remember, victory was gained by the 

 "B" fleet, and perhaps I may venture to .suggest that the 

 facility which Admiral Sir Compton Domville had of using the 

 wireless telegraph in all weathers, both by day and night, con- 

 tributed to the success of his operations. 



Commander Statham, R.N., has published a very concise 

 description of the results obtained in the Army and Navy, 

 illustrated, and I think it will be interesting if I read a short 

 extract from the admirable description he has published. 



" When the reserve fleet first assembled at Tor Bay, ihejuno 

 was sent out day by day to communicate at various distances 

 with the flagship, and the range was speedily increased to over 

 30 miles, ullmiately reaching something like 50 miles. At Milford 

 Haven the Eui-opa was fitted out, the first step being the 

 securing to the main topmast head of a hastily prepared spar 

 carrying a small gafi" or sprit, to which was attached a wire, 

 which was brought down to the starboard side of the quarter- 

 deck through an insulator and into a roomy deck house on the 

 lower after-bridge which contained the various instruments. 



"When hostilities commenced the Europa was the leading 

 ship of a squadron of seven cruisers despatched to look for the 

 convoy at the rendezvous. The /uno was detached to act as a 

 link when necessary and to scout for the enemy, and the flag- 

 ship of course remained with the slower battle ."-quadron. The 

 Europa was in direct communication with the flagship long 

 after leaving Milford Haven, the gap between reaching to 30 or 



NO. 1581, VOL. 61] 



