The evening world. Newspaper, July 5, 1922, Page 16

Has World’s Most Complete Equipment; Can Send Messages Half Way Across Atlantic, ‘Receive Them From Any- where on Earth—An Intimate ‘Close-Up’ of the Inventor and His Workshop— Tells How He ‘Directs’ Wireless Waves. By Capt. Robert Scofield Wood, D. F.C., M.C., R.A. F. Copyright, 1922 (New York venting World), by Press Publishing Company ACHTS and boats from every corner of the world, from the trim, graceful, stream-lined — specd- sters, common to the tnternational sporting fraternity, down to he square-rigged, heavy-topped Chi- nese junksa, havé droppec anchor in the port of New York. But since Hendrick Hudson sailed his Half Moon to an anchorage under the shadows of the Palisades no ship has created qt'te the sensation or interest en has the Elettra, the private ‘‘wire- Yess laboratory” yacht of Senatore Marconi, the genius of en age of un- paralleled development. This remarkable yacht lies in tho Hudson River at the foot of 86th Btreet, riding gracefully at its moor- tng several hundred feet off the floats et the Columbia Yacht Club, Two huge masts reach over a hundred feet {nto the air, supporting a network of @erlais and antennas of every known type from the most efficient cages for transmitting purposes to the sin- fle wire antenna on which tho feeble impulses of radio concerts are re- ceived and cared down to the most completely equipped radio laboratory fi existence. The proper way to enter this labo- fatory, in which @ million dollars’ Worth of equipment has been in- stalled, 1s hardly by way of the en- fenna lead-in, but disregarding the Manner of entrance let us look over @is unparalleled combination of in- @truments that has contributed s0 largely to the science which the world fm calling by its first name—“radio.” Night after night, while the rest of the world tg in dreamland, and even Bow while on his so-called vacation to America, Marconi, surrounded by his engineers and assistants, labors Jong and tirelessly in the radio room of his floating experimental station. As we entered the cabin it pre- e@ented a very worklike appearance, and from the loose apparatun that was lying on the table in the centre of the room It was evident that Mar- cont had recently been at work on fome new development which he freely admitted but the nature of which he was reluctant to touch upon. * The major portion of this jewel of & room can be seen in the photograph on this page. The apparatus is com- posed of the best of every known make brought from the four corners of the world. American radio ap- pliances mingle in perfect harmony with Italian, English and German, beyond any vestige of a doubt that, in so far as science is concerned, a scientist is absolutely devoid of all gentiment, The transmitting panel of the powerful continuous wave transmitted om which so many experiments have been successfully brought te a con- clusion, shows none of the marks of its long usage, and, standing idly in the corner, does not impress one with its tremendous powers of throwing a vibration carrying the load of a hu- man voice superimposed upon tt halt way across the Atlantlo Ocean. Second in importance tn the ine of recent experiments ts the direction finder which works tn conjunction with the large loop aerial, This in- strument using two steps of radio frequency amplification, a detector, and two steps of audio frequency amplification which has been devol- oped by the genius himeelf ts con- sidered to be the greatest ald to navi- gators that has yet been devised, ex- copting, of course, his recently devel- oped radio beacon which has just been presented to the world and has not had time to be generally applied to marine work. However, this direction finder which {8 a comparatively recent contribution to the shipping Interests has been carried forward almost with the speed of the electro-magnetic wave of 186,000 miles @ second, and to-day forms part of the coastal equipment of every civilized nation of the world. Our own coast supports through the efforts of the Navy Department forty- three land stations which dally assist hundreds of ships equipped with the direction finder to ascertain their ox- ct location. Without exception this instrument is the one which has added the great- est factor of safety to navigation since the Invention of the compass by the Orientals centuries before the Chris tlan era. Ships can now proceed in perfect safety in the most dense fogs and can be piloted to an anchorage without fear of running aground un- der the most unfavorable weather conditions, The man who has made all these things possible, radio’s master, Sena- tore Guglielmo Marconi, to whom goes the undisputed credit of first discov- ering and demonstrating the worth of that indispensable something, wire- less, has at last paid us his long promised visit, The story of his life has been told and retold and his name {s a household word the world oyer, 80 we will waste no time in redress ing an old story, Wireless experiments as he de- scribes them, appear to be a work-a- day matter to the famous Old-World genius of the air, yet velled behina the low but incisive tones of his Wwice Sf Wags + Nes an apprectation of the romantic nature of his activities in a world all its own, a friendly universe to him obviously, despite the coli ‘unrespon- siveness of the ethereal something that daily serves his every whim, “Radio is a new solence, opening up a field of endeavor that none of us has the vision to foresee and being @ new science it has to be handled in 4 ttle different way from any other, That, I suppose, is what you want to hear about?" Thus opened an interview that 1 had intended to conduct (but didn’t) when I had finally passed through the formalities of arranging to see the Senator on board the Blettra, and had found him on the forward deck tuxuriously reclining in @ spacious wioker aim chair in the shade of a0 awning and enjoying the rugged magnificence of the Palinades. The question answered itself as he continued to speak In English that is absolutely perfect in every detail: “The fleld of radio activity is so great that tt would take: practically all the rest of the year to merely touch on the departments and large divisions to whioh it is subject. “I suppose you are interested in all of them," he began. I nodded in the affirmative, murmuring some- thing about letting the highly techn!- cal stuff slide by, With a glance of understanding, he continued: “The one thing most valuable to the radio experimenter 1s a super-developed sense visualization. Without it there is very little hope of progress. In all of my experiments the plan was perfectly clear and the goal of my efforts had already been attained mentally long before I started on the actual experiments to prove the prao- tleability of my achemes,” At this juncture we were tnter- rupted ‘by the presence of his secre- tary, Mr. Margini, who had just come up to announce the arrival of my photographer on board. This Interruption brought me back with a sudden start to a realization of the work.on hand, which was {im mediately sensed by my host, who suggested that we visit the radio room on the deck below. As he swung open the door to the wireless cabin, which is located on the forward part of the’ main deck directly in front of bis sumptuously Mascon, (/in A CORNER OF WIS LABORATORY LISTENING TO SOME LOCAL eppointed dining saloon, we got our first vision of the workroom of the World's greatest engineering genius. I remarked upon the nationality of hig various instruments and he related how his friend Michael Pupin had jokingly socused him of treason at the recent joint meeting of the So- cleties of Electrical and Radio En- sineers for reverting after twenty-six years of experimentation with the radio waves of great length—those of his own creation, the Marconi or Ital- ian waves—to those of German or Hertzian origin—the short waves. This brought up the subject of his directing wireless waves in any desired direction, which seemed to touch just the right spot. His whole countenance lighted up as he delved into the working of this ex- periment with its so-called radio re- experiments “The results,"’ he said, “obtained by reflectors appeared to be so good that I attempted to try out my old idea of twenty-six years ago and teat the po- sition finder to which I had adapted the short waves for ships near dan- gerous points. This ts now being done through the courtesy of the Commis- of Northern Lights. trials are being carried out with a re- volving reflector erected at Inchkeith Island, in the treacherous approach to THE ELETT Owe OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE SHIPS APLOAT Hovsine A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF APPARATUS. reer rE canada h. (The transmitter and reflector, re olving, act as a kind of lighthouse or beacon, and by means. of the revolving beam of tue electrical radiation it is possible, according to the iaventor, for ships within a cer- tain distance. to ascertain in thick weather the bearing and position of the lighthouse,’ That is the way he explained the working of an instru- ment which will soon be a feature of every port of the civilized world. The whole time he was talking he was busily engaged in hooking up sev- eral stray wires in a most complex arrangement, and I marvelled at his abliity to discuss such a highly tech- nical subject, answer odd questions that were thrown at him, and con- tinue to properly hook up complexed instruments with as little concern or suggestion of mental stress as if he were asking for his morning mail while lighting a cigarette, We next turn our attention to the big loop aerial which occupies the cen- tre of the cabin, The loop contains some 180 odd turns of wire, and has through @ sertes of taps a range of from fifty metres to some 50,000 metres. The loop has been the centre of many recent experiments, and works in conjunction with the instru ments which can be seen in the fore- ground on the right hand side of the picture. This instrument Is one of his own designing and is known as the Marconi directton finder. On the far side of the cabin, on the port side of the ship, can be seen one of the most complete and powerful continuous wave transmitting sets that has ever been installed on board a ship. cupying the opposite corr ling corner on the starboard side of the yacht, can be seen the type of trans- mitter that is fast becoming extinct— the old spark transmitter Going the rounds of the eebin Mar con! enthused as he passed from one piece of apparatus to another, touch- ing them with the fondness of a man who loves every wire of their weird construction, Passing on around the cabin he finally brought up in his own corner, where on a desk lay inter- mingled with little pieces of strange apparatus, formulas and scrape of torn paper, some embryo invention that will add to the already long list of honors which have marked every step of his distinctive earcer. Good humoredly he posed for many’ picture: in this studio, which any enthusiastic radio ‘Ham’? would gladly give ten years of life to possess if it might be obtained over this route: While we were attentively listening © to the description of a smal! audt tube which Marconi had picked up the party was joined by a youthful looking man, Who seemed to enjoy, every word that was spoken by thel master radio experimenter. After am} exchange of compliments in Iutian,! the newcomer was introduced as Capt. | Raffaele Lauro, who is the guardian of Marcont's electrical floating’ palace. It was suggested during the course’ \ of a three-cornered conversation that® we take a look at some of the other electrical appliances on board. Subs sequently we trooped down a come panionway, led-by the Senator hime self. We pulled up eventually in @ little recess in which reposed a pe- culiar looking arrangement which ree. minded us of a big iron pot on g & stand. Without any further conve’) eation the bowl was removed and dis™ closed the interior of a highly com- plicated assemblage of mechaniam which our host explained was a non. magnetic compass which, working om the gyroscopic principles, alwaym pointed to the true north, After making the rounds of thé ship we came to the conclusion that everything on board was run efth by radio or electricity with the excep= tion, possibly, of the Captain, crew and the engines. We remarked upon apparently complete installation and our host immediately began tell- ing us how a call system has been arranged in all parts of the ship 80 that an order spoken by the Captain, could be heard all over the ship.) Smiling he went further and told us that the time was not far distant when radio would supply the source of energy for many types of motors and it is not outside the realm of poss sibilities that it will be an accomplishes | ment witnessed by the present gen ation, i We felt that here our interview ended, so with one parting question that we had kept in reserve we step- ped up to the gangway, ready to make a quick getaway if it was not well received. Much to our reiléf It only brought @ peal of laughter from Marconi and his staff of engineer who had gathered around him. In thi following way he cleared up the quese tion of that ‘signal from Mars." “While being interviewed abroad by a reporter on some of my recent exe periments I happened to mention the fact that, while cruising around the world, I Picked up-a vibration of very great length, the emanation of which Was not from any earth source of which we know. This state: ment was just made in passing, my overzealous friend In writing his story, seeing the chance of putting ove so-called news “scoop,'” time vented the story of my communtea | tion with Mars i “And now you have the whole story.”’ he added, and again came the ever ready smile accompanied by a friendly goodby, Thus ended an in- terview with the man who astounded the world and who in,turn has been astounded by the activities of the great American public in uUlizing his ds ery, “America, he says, is the greatest radio country in the world,” It is expected that on the morning of July 6 the Elettra will weigh anchor and steam away from our shores on the return trip to England with the recognized master of the ethereal world—the man who within the short space of a lifetime has made his ‘boyhood dreams of world temas come true, on board r