38 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 262. 



We have no data as to the effects of rolling and 

 pitching, but excessive vibration at high speed 

 apparently produced no bad effect on the in- 

 struments, and we believe the working of the 

 system would be very little affected by the mo- 

 tion of the ship. The accuracy is good within 

 the working ranges. Cipher and important 

 signals may be repeated back to the sending 

 station, if necessary, to insure absolute accu- 

 racy. When ships are close together (less than 

 400 yards) adjustments easily made of the in- 

 struments are necessary. The greatest distance 

 that messages were exchanged with the station 

 at Navesink was 16.5 miles. This distance was 

 exceeded considerably during the yacht races, 

 when a more efficient set of instruments was 

 installed there. The best location of instru- 

 ments would be below, well protected, in easy 

 communication with the commanding officer. 

 The spark of the sending coil or of a consider- 

 able leak, due to faulty insulation of the send- 

 ing wire, would be sufficient to ignite an inflam- 

 mable mixture of gas or other easily lighted 

 matter, but with the direct lead (through air 

 space, if possible) and the high insulation neces- 

 sary for good work, no danger of fire need be 

 apprehended. 



When two transmitters are sending at the 

 same time, all the receiving wires within range 

 receive the impulses from transmitters, and the 

 tapes, although unreadable, show unmistakably 

 that such double sending is taking place. In 

 every case, under a great number of varied 

 conditions, the attempted interference was com- 

 plete. Mr. Marconi, although he stated to the 

 Board before these attempts were made that he 

 could prevent interference, never explained 

 how nor made any attempt to demonstrate that 

 it could be done. Between large ships (heights 

 of masts 130 and 140 feet) and a torpedo boat 

 (height of mast 45 feet), across open water, sig- 

 nals can be read up to seven miles on the tor- 

 pedo boat and eighty-five miles on the ship. 

 Communication might be interrupted altogether 

 when tall buildings of iron framing intervene. 

 The rapidity is not greater than twelve words 

 per minute for skilled operators. The shock 

 from the sending coil of wire may be quite 

 severe and even dangerous to a person with a 

 weak heart. No fatal accidents have been re- 



corded. The liabilitj' to accident from light- 

 ning has not been ascertained. The sending ap- 

 paratus and wire would injuriously affect the 

 compass if placed near it. The exact distance 

 is not known and should be determined by ex- 

 periment. The system is adapted for use on all 

 vessels of the navy, including torpedo boats 

 and small vessels, as patrols, scouts and de- 

 spatch boats, but it is impracticable in a small 

 boat. For landing parties the only feasible 

 method of use would be to erect a pole on shore 

 and then communicate with the ship. The sys- 

 tem could be adapted to the telegraphic deter- 

 mination of differences of longitude in survey- 

 ing. The Board respectfully recommends that 

 the system be given a trial in the navy. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS- 



We record with much regret the death of 

 Dr. Elliott Coues, the eminent naturalist, on 

 December 25th, in his 57th year. 



A MEMORIAL meeting in honor of the late 

 Daniel G. Brinton will be held in Philadelphia 

 on January 16th, under the auspices of the 

 American Philosophical Society, and with the 

 cooperation of some twenty- four societies. A 

 portrait of Dr. Brinton, a memorial medal and 

 a set of his works will be presented to the 

 Philosophical Society. 



Professor E. B. Wilson, of Columbia Uni- 

 versity, has been elected president of the 

 American Society of Naturalists, in succession 

 to Professor W. G. Farlow, of Harvard Uni- 

 versity. 



Dr. William McMurtrie, of New York 

 City, has been elected president of the Amer- 

 ican Chemical Society, in succession to Professor 

 Edward W. Morley. 



The New Year's honors annually conferred in 

 Great Britain include a peerage for Sir John 

 Lubbock, a knighthood for Dr. T. Lauder 

 Brunton, the physiologist, and a K. C. B. for 

 Captain W. de W. Abney, the physicist, assist- 

 ant Secretary of the Science and Art Depart- 

 ment. 



A movement has been started in Baltimore to 

 pay some special tribute to President Daniel 

 Coit Gilmau of Johns Hopkins University, in 



