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3. I take this opportunity of transmitting copies of the enclosed correspondence in continuation of my above-quoted despatch.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
CLAUD SEVERN,
The Right Hon. Lewis Harcourt, M.P.
&c.
&c.
&c.
Officer Administering the Government.
STB,
2A. Enclosure to foregoing.
MARCONI COMPANY'S AGENTS IN HONG KONG to COLONIAL SECRETARY,
HONG KONG
Hong Kong, 21st May 1912.
Wireless Telegraph Station.
REFERRING to our senior's letter of 28th February we have pleasure in informing you that we have now received full particulars of the proposed station from our principals, Messrs. Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, Limited, copies of which, together with drawings, we enclose herewith.
Messrs. Marconi in their letter to us reply as follows to the several points which we raised and which we think are worthy of consideration. The 30-kilowatt station proposed, although it can safely be guaranteed for the day range of 850 nautical miles specified when working across open water, cannot be relied upon for regular day and night working over this distance when land of a highly mountainous nature lies in the line of communication. Should the station be required to work in connection with a similar station in Shanghai, communication would be required across some 660 nautical miles practically entirely over land, including some con- siderable elevations. Although there is every probability that such communication could often be established particularly during the night hours, they do not think it advisable to guarantee regular working with that point.
According to more recent practices they have included with the main 30-kilowatt installation a subsidiary 3-kilowatt installation, which would be employed when working over comparatively short distances on the regular wave length used in ship communication.
With regard to the question of the severe climatic conditions obtaining at Hong Kong at certain times of the year, Messrs. Marconi advise us that the patent sectional steel masts which are provided for in the tender are designed with an ample margin of safety to meet such contingencies, and have been erected under the most varying conditions in all parts of the world, so that there is no reason to anticipate any future trouble on this score in the event of their being entrusted with the work.
Finally, with regard to the question of prices, Messrs. Marconi advise us that they cannot see their way to allow any reduction on the price given in our original tender, namely, 16,9057. (sixteen thousand nine hundred and five pounds sterling), but have pleasure in confirming same subject to the following exceptions. The plant to be free from all customs dues, if any, and the cost of transporting it to the site to be borne by the purchasers, the reason for which being the present uncertainty as to the ultimate situation of the station, but this charge would not be heavy. The Company would subsequently carry out the erection under the supervision of its own engineers, would also pay all labour charges involved in the erection work, but would look to the purchasers to pay the staff expenses and running expenses during the maintenance period as stated in our provisional tender.
As far as the provisional prices given for cost of building and land are concerned the question of a possible reduction on these is one which for obvious reasons must be left until the site of the station is definitely fixed.
Our estimate of annual upkeep may also be adhered to..
The Honourable
We have, &c., (Signed)
The Colonial Secretary, present.
JARDINE, MATHESON & Co., LTD., Agents,
Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co., Ltd.
SIR,
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3. MARCONI'S WIRELESS TELEGRAPH COMPANY to BARBADOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
London, W.C., 12th June 1912. You will have been informed already by the United Wireless Telegraph Company of New York, in their letter of May 23rd last, that they have forwarded on to us your letter of March 28th, 1912, in which you ask for preliminary informa- tion to assist the Government of Barbados in their design for establishing a Wireless Telegraph Station in Barbados. After giving the matter due consideration we have much pleasure in furnishing you with the following particulars, which we think will prove of interest to you in this connection.
To deal first with the project for establishing at Barbados a station suitable for establishing communication with Trinidad and for working with shipping, we would propose for this purpose the adoption of our 5-kilowatt land station. The enclosed printed pamphlet will afford you a good general idea of the main lines of design of this installation. There are one or two minor points in which we should modify the plant in order to bring it into line with our very latest developments in wireless working. For example, it is our most recent practice when supplying installations for use in the neighbourhood of the Tropics to supply an alternating current generator having a somewhat higher frequency than that mentioned in the accom- panying general description, in order to provide for transmission on a spark of higher musical pitch. The design of the transformer would be modified accordingly. Again, we have recently replaced the Swiss commutator described in the pamplilet, by a somewhat simpler method of changing the transmitted wave lengths. The mast system we should propose for use in the present instance would comprise two of the steel composite cylinder type masts, described, each 250 feet in height above the ground level, these two masts being disposed so as to serve for the support of an aerial of the "T" shape as indicated on the drawing attached to the pamphlet. A station of this type would enable regular day and night communication to be established with Trinidad and also with shipping,
With regard to the question of price, we are hardly in a position to give a definite figure until we are in possession of more detailed information as to your require- ments. To give you a preliminary idea, however, we may say that the price of supplying the plant and material comprised in such an installation F.O.B. at a port in England would be of the order of 4,0007. On the other hand, if there is a suitable supply of electrical energy available, it may be possible to utilise this with a consequent reduction in the price of the station. In the event of our being entrusted with this work, we shall be pleased to quote a figure for providing the services of engineers from our staff to superintend the work of erection.
To come to the question of providing a power station such as would be necessary to put Barbados into communication with Colon, Bermuda, the United States Coast and South America, we have had prepared the enclosed map illustrating the position of our stations on the United States Coast. We are also sending you a small sketch map illustrating the projected Trans-Ocean Scheme, which as you will see comprises power stations at New York, Havana and Colon, the station projected for Havana being sufficiently powerful to communicate with a similar station at Barbados, which it would thus link up with the main scheme. Here again we can only quote you a provisional figure of 30,0007., which would represent approximately the price of such a station. The distance from Barbados to Havana is about 1,400 nautical miles, including a stretch of mountainous country in Cuba.
We trust the above information may prove useful to you for your present purposes, and, in conclusion, we beg to assure you that we are entirely at your disposal to supply any further particulars which you may require on receipt of subsequent advice from yourself.
W. W. BRADFIELD,
(Signed)
Manager.
* Not printed.
→ Not printe.1.
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