1930-02-01 — Page 11

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1930.

BIRTH OF WIRELESS

First Trans-Atlantic Radio Signal

28 YEARS AGO

Marconi's Triumph Over Space & Scepticism

EXPERIENCE RECALLED

THE CHINA MAIL.

MAIL BAG THEFTS

AT HOME

"The result meant much more than the mere successful realian- tion of an experiment. It was a discovery which proved that, con- trary to the general belief, radio signals could travel over such LEFT UNGUARDED ON STATION great distances as those separat- Ing Europe from America, and constituted, as Sir Oliver Lodge has stated, an epoch in history besides being an astonishing and remarkable feat.

Elementary Apparatus

"It must be remembered that

tion of the existence of the Heavi-

Within a quarter of an hour of finishing the following broad- cast description of his experience in receiving the first trans-Atlantic wireless signal in Newfoundland 25 years ago, the Marchese Marconi received the first telegram of congratulation from the United States. The first telegram was from an Italian listener in the Middle West, Mr. Francesco Occioni. Then came congratulations from Mr. David Sarnoff, Vice-President and General Manager of the Radio ed with Corporation of America; from Mr. Merlin H. Aylesworth, President of the National Broadcasting Company of America; from the Ameri-heterodyne nets, can Institute of, Electrical Engineers, and many others.

ho

.

PLATFORMS

PLACES OF LEAKAGE

SHADOWS BEFORE

COMING EVENTS ANNOUNCED IN CHINA MAIL

Social Functions

To-day Tea Kong Hotel and during 4.30 p.m.

The Marchese Marconi, in a speech broadcast through 5SW, means of making continuous platform at Euston, without either

waves.

Dances at Hong Peninsula Hotel,

Entertainmentz To-day - Queen's "Hollywood Revue."

p.m.

Theatre,

Theatre,

1

and

So serious was the recent state- ment of Mr. H. B. Lees-Smith, the Postmaster-General, that the twelve months ending last To-day--Dinner Dances at Hong March there were 10,540 cases of Kong Hotel and Peninsula Hotel, at that time there was no sugges that a reporter set out on a mission

loss from the theft of mail bags, 8.30 p.m. side-Kennelly layer, nor of the re-

of investigation. Bection of electric waves from the the possible places of leakage is It has been suggested that one of higher regions of the atmosphere.

To-day - Star The instruments we

the rallway station disposal were very crude compar often left unguarded for indefinite "Glorious Betsy" at 6.15 and 9.20

had at our where, it is alleged, mali baga are

platform, Single Standard."

To-day World Theatre, those we have to-day periods, and accordingly the rep.m.; "Secrets We. had no valves or tubes, "no porter visited a number of the prin- (Chinese picture), wi 2,50 and 7.15 of the Studio" amplifiers, 10 sensitive Buper cipal London stations. directional

Between 1.30 and 2 p.m. there ap transmitters and receivers, and no peared about 20 mail bags on the "Fools for Luck."

To-day Majestic Theatre;

All we had for transmit a railway servant of Post Office

Sports- the short wave experimental wireless station at Chelmsford, re-ting, was the means

To-morrow-Fanling Hunt of making offelal within 20 yards of them. Race Club Hounds Meet, Hung counted his experiences in receiving at St. John's, Newfoundland. crude damped waves by means of Fifteen were on three trucks Ling, 4 p.m. 28 years ago the historic "S" signal, the first wireless signal to be receivers that were then employ of the carriageway on No. 3 plat-Kong v. Shanghai, at Fanling.

irregular spark discharges, The drawn up within 2ft. of the edge To-day-Golf Interport: Hong transmitted across the Atlantic.

ed, were insensitive as compared form. Two were on the ground bei February 2-Fanling Hunt and This broadcast was arranged at the request of the National with those of the present day. tween the trucks and the carriage- Race Club Steeplechase Mecting. Broadcasting Company of Amerien which rebroadcast the Marchese test, I was promptly notified by pillar. The place was about 30 Hong Kong v. Shanghai, at Fanling. "Following the success of my way, and three wore behind aj To-morrow - Golf Interport: Marconi's speech throughout the United States by means of its the Anglo-American Telegraph yards from the main exit. chain of wireless stations,

Meeting Company that as they had tho

Well Guarded

Feb. 6-Monthly meeting of Foot-i exclusive right to construct and During the 15 minutes that the ball Referees' Association, French operate stations for telegraphic reporter kept watch a motor-car Bank Bldg.. Queen's Road Central,, communication between Newfound-stood beside the bags, It would 5.30 p.m. land and places outside that have been easy for a man shielded February 11-Forty-second Gen- colony, the work upon which I from view by the car and the pillar feral meeting of Shareholders of was engaged, was a violation of to have grasped two or three baga Hong Kong Land Investment their rights.

and pulled them inside the car Agency Co., Ltd.. at Messrs. "I was asked to give an imme-within 30 seconds.

Jardine's, 12.30 p.m. diate undertaking not to proceed At Paddington the bags seemed with my experiments and to re- Those arriving were taken im- move my apparatus, or legal pro-mediately from the trains to the to be particularly, well guarded.

ceedings would be taken. I was Post Office tube, and a railway absolutely astounded by this com constable was on guard about 10 munication which, however, at

yards away.

AN EARLY FAITH

"It gives me very great plea- sure," said the Marchese Marconi, "to recount to Americans, through the courtesy of the National Broadcasting Company of Ameri- en and British Broadcasting Cor- poration my experiences at the time when I first attempted-and, as it proved, successfully-te send Radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean. twenty-eight years ago. almost to the very hour.

"From the time of my earliest experiments I had always held the belief-almost amounting to an intuition-that radio signals would some day be regularly sent across the greatest distances on earth, and I felt conylneed that Trans-Atlantic Radio Telegraphy would be fensible.

"Very naturally I realised that)

side.

"What was at that time a most powerful wireless station, was

built at Poldhu in England for this purpose, and as antenna system was constructed, supported by a ring of 20 wooden masta, each about 200 ft. high.

building that I set up my receiv- ing apparatus in preparation for the great experiment.

"On Monday, December 9. bare ly three days after my arrival, and my assistants began work on Signal Hill. The weather was very bad and very cold. On Tuesday we flew a kite with 600 ft. of antenna least gave me the satisfaction of wire as a preliminary test, and knowing that

the great

one of

on the Wednesday we had inflat- Cable Companies not only believe

The same care seemed to be taken reached the station they were with mails for despatch. As they

RADIO

TO-DAY'S PROGRAMME

Broadcasting Station 2.B.W. on 855 The following programme will be and broadcast to-day from the Hong Kong

metros:

ed one of our small balloons, ed in my success but already fear, placed on trucks, and if left for a which made its first ascent dured the competition of radio Trans while were under the constant gaze ing the morning. Owing, how Atlantic communication. ever, to the strength of the wind,

of an official in a small office. the balloon soon broke away and

"I mention this to show why Postal officials were also on duty. disappeared in the mist. I then were thus cut short. When, how-King's Cross Station most of the

my experiments in Newfoundland' At St. Pancras Station concluded that perhaps kitca would answer better, and decided, the reason became known, mail bags had been cleared. The to use them for the crucial test. received a very cordial Invitation few that were being dealt with at from the Government of Canada St. Pancras were being removed ex- The Great Moment

to erect a station in Nova Scotia peditiously, with three Post Office "I had arranged with my as-an offer which I gladly accept officials on guard.

0 p.m.-Programme of Columbia Re- The tour demonstrated clearly cords by Courtesy of Messrs. Anderson. that a mailbag robbery could be "English Medley, Ono Stop" accomplished easily. Thieves dis-Sea Songs Medley, One Step,"

(arr. Debroy Somers)," guised as railway porters or Fost Office workers could remove the

Debroy Somers Band. Dance Music. bage with very little frouble.

Scientific Doubters

.1.48. p.m.-Weather Report,

7.00-9.00 p.m.-Experimental Pro- gramme.

1

"Waltz Medley"

(arr. Debroy Somers),

Debroy Somers Band.

H.M. Grenadier Guards,

my first endeavour must be direct-sistants in Cornwall to send ed. ed to prove that an electric wave could be sent right across the At-series of "S'a" at a pre-arranged lantic and detected on the other speed, during certain hours of the

day. I chose the letter "S" be "The announcement that I had cause it was easy to transmit and succeeded in transmitting radio with the very primitive apparatus signals across the Atlantic, was used at Foldhu, I was afraid that received with acepticism by most the transmission of other Morse scientists principally in Europe. signials, which included dashes. The same thing cannot be said ROUND THE CINEMAS "Begimental March Medley, might perhaps cause

too much of American Electrical Engineers, atrain on it and break it down. for the American Institute of "Mr. Entwistle, Mr. George and Electrical Engineers was the only Mr. Taylor were in charge of the technical

and scientific body British station at Poldhu during which first believed in me azul the transmission of signals to my statement of having received signals across the Atlantic Ocean, "On the morning of Thursday. It was the first distinguished and December 12, the critical moment authoritative society enthusla for which I had been working for tically to celebrate the event and

"In the design and construction of the Foldhu Station, I was as ainted by Sir Ambrose Fleming, Mr. R. N. Vyvyan and Mr. W. S.

Entwistle.

"A similar "station was erected at Cape Cod in Massachusetts. By the end of April, 1901, the

A Balloon Aerial

"I then decided, notwithstand ing this further setback, to carry out experiments in Newfoundland,

Newfoundland.

Elihu

Fature Possibilitles

Greta Garbo at Star Theatre

Greta Garbo, the Idol of film fans,

is starred with Nlis Aather in M-G-M's picture, "The Single Standard," show- ing for the last time at the Star Theatre to-day.

Together with Asther, with whom she acted in "Wild Orchids," "Miss

wonderful

10.30, p.m.-Close Down.

GERMAN FLYING ACE

REFUSAL TO DINE WITH

erection of the masts was nearly so long at last arrived; and, in to extend to me their generous Garbo acts her role splèndidly.

BRITISH PILOTS completed, when a terrific gale spite of the gale raging, we man-sapport and valuable encourage-

"DIPLOMATIC GROUNDS" swept the English coasts with the aged to fly a kite carrying an anment. They celebrated the occa and sacrifice, and some

The story is one of love, intriguo result that the whole constructlen tenna wire some 400 ft. long. slon by a dinner given to me in photography of swimming under water

Manchester.-Herr Kloffel, navi- wrecked. I was naturally ex- was at last on the point of put New York, at which most distin-in the South Seas is Bécaned.

gator of the Graf Zeppelin, an tremely disappointed at this un-ting the correctness of my relief guished American scientista took John Mack Brown, Dorothy nounced his eleventh hour de- foreseen accident, and for some to the test!

part, including men whose names Sebastian, and Lane Chandler are in cision, "on diplomattic grounds," days had visions of my test hav "Up t then I had nearly al-ware and still are household the supporting cast,

not to dine with pilots against Ing to be postponed for several ways used a receiving arrange words in electrical science, such

A Big Hit!

whom he fought during the war. months or longer; but eventually ment including a coherer, which as Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, the Courad Nagel, who makes his sing. This famous German, flying ace I decided that it might be possible recorded automatically, signale Inventor of the telephone; Pró-ing debut in "The Hollywood Revue," was to have been the guest of to make a preliminary trial with through a relay and a Morse in fessor

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor's big musical honour at a re-union dinner of the a simpler aerial attached to a strument. I decided, in this in- Steinmetz; Dr. Michael Pupin the Queen's Theatre, is recognised as Royal Flying Corps.

Thompson; Dr. motion picture extravaganza now at Royal Naval Air Service and the stay stretched between two masts stance, to use also

& telephone Mr. Frank Sprague and many the possessor of a talking voice with Mr. Armitage, the secretary of 170 feet high and consisting of connected to A self-restoring others.

out a peer in the screen world, but his GO almost vertical wires. By the coherer-the human ear being for "In less than three months possibilities as a singer were not dla the organisation which is arrang- time this aerial was erected, an- more sensitive than the recorder. from the date of the tests to New-covered until he was found joining in ing the reunion dinner, said that other unfortunate accident also Suddenly, at about half-past-foundland these long distance rebarber shop melodies with Charles as far as he knew there was no caused by a gale, occurred in twelve, & succession of three faintaults were more than confirmed King and Uksleie.Ike" Edwards on reason why Herr Kleffe)- should America destroying the antenna clicks on the telephone, corres by experiments carried out by my

the rehearsal atago.

have decided not to attend the din system of the Cape Cod Station,

ponding to the three dots of the self on the s.s. Philadelphia of the interlocutor in the minstrel sequence, reference to "diplomatic grounds." Now, in addition to appearing ner. He could not understand the tter S," sounded several times American Line.

Nagel sings "You Were Meant For Me" "It was Herr Kleffel's own sug of a doubtl In my ear-beyond the possibility

with Anita Page, one of the big hit gestion that he should attend," add- songs of "The Broadway Melody:" Anticipations Justified

"The spanning of great dia-

The great new sound picture revus is ed. Mr. Armitage. "He heard about assistant Mr. tances is now child's play comandowed with more than twenty songs, the dinner and asked if he might a huge dancing, chorus, and a double come along as well. We told him a balloon or kite, as it was clear- Kemp for corroboration, if he had pared with what it was then. bill of Broadway screen, atars that we should be very glad to see

heard anything. He had in fact Beam Projector, and other com-

Norma-Shearer

him. I am only sorry that he bas heard the same alguals as I had. mercial Radio telegraph and tele- Norms Shearer's penchant for.nib-changed his mind."

then knew that I had been jus- phone stations are now exchang-bling a yeast, sandwich every afternoon

In The War. tifled in my anticipations!

Ing dally hundreds of thousands was contagious on "The Last of Mrs. Mr. Allan Goodfellow, of the "The electric waves, which of words between distant parts of Choyney" set at the Metro-Goldwyn Lancashire Aero Club, expressed were being sent out into space the earth Wireless telephony Mayer: studio. Sidney Franklin, who his regret in hearing that Herr "On November 26, 1901, I sail from Poldhu and traversed then reality, fogether with transmises tomorrow at the Queen's The "I am sure we should all have been over world-wide distances is now directed this all-talking-feature, which Kleffel had decided not to attend. ed from Liverpool accompanied by Atlantic unimpeded by the curva- my two technical assistante, Mr.ture of the earth which so many slon of pictures; and the day is of the cast, including Basil Rathbone very glad to have seen him and G. S. Kemp and Mr. P. W. Paget. considered to be a fatal obstacle approaching when television also George Barraud, Herbert Bunston, welcome him," he said. There was "We landed at St. John's, New- and they were now audible in my even be that the transmission of K. Arthur, and Moon Carroll, soon between the pilots of the opposing will be a commonplace. It may Hedda Hopper, Cyril Chadwick, George no personal feeling during the war foundland on Friday, December 6. ceiver in Newfoundland! Per and before beginning, operations, haps it will interest you if I now power over moderate distances followed sult.

olloweditate was screened from the there are a number of cases,"

forces. ANN I visited the Governor, Sir repeat the morse signal of the may be developed in the not far Cavendish Boyle, and the Prime letter "g" as I first heard it across distant future I must leave to famous British play, writen by added Mr. Goodfellow, "of plots Minister, Sir Robert Bond, and the Atlantic 28 years ago. can be made of these new powers Cooper, one of Britain's most noted meetings should not take place rst heard it across your imaginations: the uses which ed on the London stave, with Gladys old foes. Any feeling that the Frederick, Lonsdale, and first present having friendly meetings with thoir other members of the Newfound then felt for the first time, They will probably be as wonder-actressis, in the title role. The play must be on his side. It certainly land Government, who promised absolutely certain, that the day ful as anything of which we have a smart comedy drama, in Franklin's me their heartiest co-operation in when I should be able to send experienced so far debut as director of dialogue pie la not on ours. order to facilitate my work, messages without wires or cables, I am glad to think that Mr.tures and marks Miss Shearer a second The diplomatic grounds. I am "After taking a look round at across the Atlantic and across Kemp and Mr, Faget who, at 1 Appearance on the talking screen informed, are associated with Herr

other. Oceans and perhaps Contin- have already t ents, was not far distant:

with receiving, aerial supported by "I asked my

ly impossible at that time of the year-owing to the wintry condi- tions, and the shortness of the -time at our disposal to erect high mnata to support the receiving aerial.

the various sites,

that the best one was to be

on-Bignal Hill, a lofty emi

verlooking the

top of thi

plate

for

On

The then enormous

of/1,700 miles bad

me at St. Johi nce with me

tre, was the frat convert. and the rest.

The cast was recruited almcat en Kleffel's position sa an attache on tirely from the stage, one of the actors, the Germen Air Ministry. He bas Herbert. Bunston, portraying the iden come to this country apparently to nows teal-role he enacted in the New York watch fights such as those of the

athbones R100 and R101 airships

lend, As he is only a lieutenant, it in

[explained, Herr

that publicity wat

German, aviasi

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