394 



NA TURE 



[February 27, 1902 



Ben. N. Peach, F. R.S., H.M. Geological Survey 



John Hoknk, F.R.S., Assistant Director of the Oeological 

 Survey for Scotland 



C. Li.ovn Morgan, F.R.S., Professor of Biology and (leolngy 

 in University College, Bristol 



Sydney Young, F. R.S., Professor of Chemistry in University 

 College, Bristol 



W. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., Professor of Geology and Pala;- 

 ontology in the Victoria University, Manchester 



R. T. Gi.AZHBROoK, f'.R.S., Director National Physical 

 Laboratory 



II. B. Tristram, F.K.S., Canon of Durham 



H. Kynasion, D.D. (Camb.), Canon of Durham and Pro- 

 fessor of Greek in the University of Durham 



L. C. Miai.i,, F.R.S., Professor of Biology Yorkshire College 



Arthur Smithells, F.R.S., Professor of Chemistry York- 

 shire College 



J. B. Bradbury, F.R.S.E., M.D., Downing Professor of 

 Medicine University of Cambridge 



Thos. W. Shore, F.G.S., Hon. Sec. London and Middlesex 

 Archajological Society 



W. E. Ayrton, F. R.S., Professor of Electrical Engineering 

 City and (iuilds Central Technical College 



Aston Webb, A.R.A. 



■G. B. Howes, F. R. S. , Professor of Zoology Royal College of 

 Science 



Wm. Garnett, Secretary Technical Education Board L.C.C. 



Adam Sedgwick, F.R.S., Reader of Animal Morphology 

 University of Cambridge 



W. Aldis Wright. Vice-Master Trinity College, Cambridge 



Thomas Shaw, K.C, M.P. 



William Ramsay, F. R.S., Professor or Chemistry in University 

 College, London 



H. Charlton Basi'Ian, F.R.S., Emeritus Professor of Medi- 

 cine University College, London 



F. a. Channing, M.P., Past Lecturer in Philosophy University 

 College, Oxford 



Wm. Allan, M.P. 



Isaac Bayley Balfour, F.R.S., King's Botanist in Scotland 



Francis Elgar, F.R.S., Past Director of H.M. Dockyards 



N. Bodington, Litt.D., Principal, Yorkshire College 



Frank E. Beddard, F.K.S., \ice-Secretary Zoological 

 Society 



Sheweth 



That Whereas His Majesty King Charles H., in order 

 to prove that His Majesty did " look with favour upon 

 all forms of Learning " and particularly " Philosophical 

 Studies," and in order that such Learning and .Studies 

 should " shine conspicuously " among his People, did by 

 Charters granted in the 14th, 15th and 21st years of His 

 Reign found the Royal Society for the promotion of such 

 Learning and Studies 



And Whereas the progress of Learning and Philo- 

 sophical Studies has been great, and scientific methods 

 ■of inquiry have been applied to many new fields of 

 knowledge since the time of His Majesty King Charles II. 



.'\nd Whereas Your Petitioners are of opinion that it is 

 desirable that all the Intellectual forces of the Realm 

 should be so organised as to promote the greatest 

 advancement of Scientific Studies within the Empire 



.•\nd Whereas a large and intluential group of represen- 

 tatives of Studies connected with History, Philosophy 

 and Philology have lately presented a petition to Your 

 Majesty praying to be embodied under Royal Charter as 

 an Academy or like institution 



And Whereas Your Petitioners are of opinion that such 

 incorporation can be most efficiently provided for in some 

 relationship to the Royal Society 



We Your Petitioners humbly pray that Your Majesty 

 may be graciously pleased to cause an Inquiry to be 

 made with a view of instituting a general and formal 

 organisation of all the Studies depending upon Scientific 

 Method now carried on similar to that inaugurated for 

 the Philosophical Studies of the 17th century by the 

 ■Charters of His Majesty King Charles II. 



.And Your Petitioners will ever pray, 

 NO. 1687, VOL. 65] 



POSITION AND PROMISE OF WIRELESS 

 TELEGRAPHY. 



n^IIE meeting of Marconi's Wireless Telegraphy Com- 

 ■*■ pany held last week was of more interest than such 

 meetings usually are, as Mr. Marconi made use of the 

 opportunity by replying in a long speech to the many 

 adverse criticisms which had been jjassed on his work. 

 No new development has ever been brought about with- 

 out helving to encounter a certain amount of opposition ; 

 wireless telegraphy is no exception to the general rule, 

 and the criticism which it has had to meet has been ac- 

 centuated on account of the magnitude of the interests 

 vested in cable enterprise. But wireless telegraphy has 

 also enjoyed more than its share of popular enthusiasm, 

 and it is perhaps partly on account of the unreasoning 

 nature of this enthusiasm that technical writers have 

 thought it desirable to sound a warning note. It is 

 doubtless unnecessary to sell out cable shares imme- 

 diately because the signal "S" has been successfully 

 transmitted across the .-Xtlantic, but it is equally un- 

 necessary to assume that the result is not genuine before 

 the details of the experiments have been published. With 

 reference to these recent experiments, and the suggestion 

 put forward by some of the technical papers that Mr. 

 Marconi was deceived by atmospheric disturbances, he 

 appeals, we think with justice, to his iong experience in the 

 matter as sufficient guarantee of the genuineness of the 

 result, and points out that in his first successful experi- 

 ment over 200 miles it was the same signal that was 

 received. 



The question has often been asked, Why is it that, 

 if a distance of 2000 miles can be bridged, the system 

 is not in actual commercial operation over shorter 

 distances? 



To this Mr. Marconi replies that the Post Office 

 monopoly prevents its adoption round the coasts of this 

 island, but that it is in continuous and perfectly satis- 

 factory work in connection with more than seventy ships 

 and twenty-five land stations, as readers of Natitrk are 

 aware from paragraphs which have appeared from time 

 to time in our Notes columns. 



The greatest interest, however, centres around the 

 questions of the speed and the secrecy of signal- 

 ling. Mr. Marconi states that with his latest appa- 

 ratus a speed of twenty-two words a minute is 

 obtainable. For short distances much higher cable 

 speeds are possible, but in Transatlantic work the 

 speed of signalling under the best conditions is only 

 about forty words per minute, so that in this respect 

 wireless telegraphy can certainly become a serious com- 

 petitor. Distance, it is stated, has no effect on the 

 rapidity of signalling by wtheric waves, a result which 

 was, of course, to be anticipated on theoretical grounds. 



As to secrecy, Mr. Marconi asserts that the developinent 

 of his syntonic system has been carried so far that no 

 interference troubles need be feared, and quotes an 

 interesting example in support of this contention. The 

 permanent station at the Lizard is at present able to 

 work with ships without suffering any interference from 

 the working of the big-power station at Poldhu, only 

 seven miles distant, from which the signals were 

 transmitted to Newfoundland. The solution of the 

 problem of tuning has always been seen to be of 

 fundamental importance to wireless telegraphy, and if 

 Mr. Marconi has successfully achieved this result, it 

 is a development greater and more far-reaching than 

 even the Transatlantic signalling. That he is himself con- 

 fident of having done so may be inferred from the 

 challenge which he issued to Sir W. Preece and Prof 

 Lodge to intercept and read any of his messages, for 

 which purpose he offers to put any of his adjacent stations 

 at their disposal. 



At the present day, when the -eneral public takes 



