NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
AND REMINDER 
Vol. XI 
Manchester, Mass., Friday, August 29, 1913 
No. 35 
Can Steer Boats and Torpedoes by Wireless 
John Hays Hammond, Jr., Perfects Plans for Controlling Different Engines of War 
From 
FTER a series of experiments lasting many months, 
John Hays Hammond, Jr., has perfected a mechan- 
ism for operating a torpedo by non-interferable radio im- 
pulses from a land station, which is likely to be adopted 
by the Washington navy officials as the greatest inven- 
tion yet known for coast defence protection, 
“There are different ways of getting at ‘world 
peace,’” says Mr. Hammond. “If you can go to a nation 
and show them an article costing $20,000 that will put 
out of commission a battleship worth $12,000,000, you 
have done something to really discourage huge arma- 
ments.” . 
The perfection of this marvelous wireless torpedo 
device necessitated fifty patents. It costs thousands of 
dollars and the labor of a corps of government men, pro- 
fessors, and highly trained experts, all at work under 
the Yale man’s direction. 
So important does the Navy Department at Wash- 
ington consider the discovery that the greatest secrecy 
has been enjoined upon the workers at the Hammond 
laboratory at Fresh Water Cove, Gloucester, and next 
month a board of army and navy officials will gather there 
te witness torpedo experiments by the non-interferable 
wireless method. 
Hitherto it has been possible to operate a torpedo 
from the shore at an eight-mile speed, but the control 
has always lacked the fundamental essential of immunity 
from interference by an enemy. ‘That is, a hostile bat- 
tleship against which a land-operated torpedo might be 
directed, could, with its own wireless radio impulses, 
interfere and negative those of the land station. 
Mr. Hammond’s invention makes such interference a 
boomerang for an enemy, for with his new device, in case 
interference is attempted, the radio forces impelling the 
projectile instead of losing their efficiency are strength- 
ened and the torpedo is drawn toward its mark at an in- 
creased rate of speed. 
Today the interest of military officials, not only be- 
longing to this country, but of all the great powers who 
have secret agents here, is centered about the young 
Gloucester inventor’s device. 
In the little bay near Gloucester harbor’s mouth, be- 
neath the bluffs where tower the twin finger-like wireless 
masts, 360 feet high, which Mr. Hammond had built at 
a cost of $20,000, lies a fifty foot “house boat” recently 
remodelled for wireless control operations which the in- 
ventor, standing at a mysterious key-board in his labor- 
atory, can at will put through its paces out in the bay— 
two, three, four miles from there, running at a 12-mile 
speed, turning, stopping, backing, starting forward again, 
without interference by anyone on board if there happens 
to be anyone. 
Shore. 
The predecessor of this “house boat,” the “Radio,” 
a speedier type, was operated by wireless waves at a 
thirty-three-knot rate—an equal in speed to the fastest 
ironclad afloat. When the navy experts heard of this and 
satisfied themselves as to its truth, they requested Mr. 
Hammond to continue the experiments with a slower 
type with the result that the Hammond “house boat” 
was refitted for the radio tests. 
Strange tales are related by old Gloucester “salts” 
of the phantom craft without crew or pilot, which, late 
at night, as their schooners trimmed into the harbor’s 
mouth, came rushing past and then turned, circled around 
and crossed their bows again. Stories of secrecy and 
devilment are today levelled at the long, low gray-walled 
building, which, after dark, flashes the searchlight’s cone 
or brilliancy now astern, now well forward of the mys- 
terious “phantom flyer.” ‘The blue eyes in the lean, sun- 
tanned, boyish face of John Hays Hammond, Jr., grin 
at the words. 
“Ask me, and I'll admit that I prefer to have people 
think I am here merely at play with these wireless masts 
and the laboratory. What’s the difference? It’s a good 
thing that people are beginning to interest themselves in 
scientific literature. Superstitious nonsense has had its 
day. We're getting at things—the truth about ’em, Even 
religion will be scientific some day. The reason we haven’t 
moved faster towards truth has been because experi- 
mentors and investigators and inventors were too self- 
sufficient. ‘They didn’t listen to advice and suggestions.” 
Mr. Hammond is a member of the Smithsonian In- 
stitute at Washington, a number of government officials 
from which are to come to Gloucester soon to witness 
experiments by him with a hydro-aeroplane. 
His work in successfully operating the wireless tele- 
phone has attracted the interest of all the foremost ex- 
perts upon the subject. Here is one of the experiments 
in radio-dynamics which has caused the already more or 
less surprise-immune corps of employes at the Hammond 
estate to gasp with amazement. 
Several of the employes were in the laboratory. 
“Now,” remarked the youthful wizard, “I’ll show 
you something.” 
A curious little electrical mechanism lay on the table 
“Lights on,” Mr. Hammond suddenly cried. Instant- 
ly the room was flooded with rays from the surrounding 
bulbs. 
“Lights off!” Off went the lights. 
Nobody said a word. 
“Now you try it,” motioning to the nearest employe. 
“Whistle for ‘Lights on,’ then whistle for ‘Lights 
ik. e 
The man did as he was told and the flare of rays, 
