BIG "WIRELESS" NOTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 926, 20 September 1910, Page 4

BIG "WIRELESS" NOTION.

TO LINE BLUFF AND ANTARCTICA. v (Br Teleeraph.-Cress Asjonatiun i < ■■;\.i'' .'-.;.'•... Chnstchurch, September 19. A short while ago' the local' Philosophical Institute a letter from (Mr. IJoiiglas MawsonV-"»who'.wa9 one of ; the, : scientific' "'inembers ':'■ "of ; the .. Nimrod ; ex-; pedition to the Antarctic, stating thai, he would, in all: probability; accompany Captain Scottfs expedition; and suggesting that; if • a-wireless' station -were":'installed 'in the, south: of New Zealand; ;and another' on ' the 'Antarctic Continent, - communication with New Zealand .would be' possible.•; The.institute took the: matter 1 up, arid wrote to Sir Joseph .Ward, suggesting' that; if' a permanent- station were established: at ■ the. Bluff,. and another, at'■ the v Antarctic, -it : would be , possible -to obtain very .valuable meteorological .and other, records. The following reply; has beea'received-from Sir' Joseph. Ward:— ."• ;"In.reply, to' your.letter of Septem-'.' : .ber 2, bringingurider .the r - : , Deparffient-the".advantages of equip-.: ping;: oh the' southern : coast, of ■ New:; :■'-.'. Zealand, a' wireless [telegraph* installa-'. -,"• Hon- of. sufficient power: to be. able, to , : , commuriicate.with the mainland of the, V Antarcticr'Continent . (which, would,-.' . necessitate, a "station of-from ;2000 ! to -; 2500 'miles',effective radius), I."desire ■ ' to inform you,that" it is the',intention'.: ;- of the Department to instal'.a.high.'j :'^power i station at :.;or-near'the : Bluff, •'' i.with, a range ..of '-1250' nautical miles: ■ ..'under, all conditions in -the-.daytime.' ' .Probably, .at' night, . cominunication' ; :'• will be practicable over much'greater. distances—even up to 2500 miles. To . get"into .'communication.overmuch ''disr''•'-.. ; tances, either from'sea or land,; would . - ..require ■an -equipment that 'is 'not:' ' '■used in any;';ship. 'The: .'installation/'--..' ;...proposed.;.at 'or, hear the 'Bluff-...wi11, : '■•:_therefo'i^,''be : ,'m6r'e;:than^su'ffi,cienV'for- 7 :-. . any probablereqiiirementsatpresent."-: . In ; connection with, the matterj Mr. ;R. Speight, assistant curator at the museum, pointed, put- to a.'reporter that ,the distance, between Antarctica'and..the; Bluff was,'. roughly,.. 1500, '■ miles, and; if .it; is possible (as stated in, Sir Joseph Ward's letter) to communicate up to ■ 2500' miles, it will be possible, to; establish communication with the base at-Mllurdo''.; Sound, some 500 miles further'south. 'As-regards fuel.for driving'a- dynamo, Mr. Speight stated that any.difficulty'in.;this respect, might be overcome by burning petrol, instead of coal, for the purpose of. ob-j taining powerl;: :'»':■; ■■'■\:K .-.''•'■: .'.'"'■