IN TOUCH WITH OUTSIDE ISLES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1680, 21 February 1913, Page 5

IN TOUCH WITH OUTSIDE ISLES.

"V WIRELESS AT CHATHAMS. 1 Soon, vory soon, tho people at the Chathams will bo within touch of the Dominions daily, and instead of having to\yait for the news of happenings, until a steamer ranches them, they will be able to, : hear of all events from the outside world. ' ,■ •• ■ Tho new wireless station whioh is to .bo erected at Waitaiigi—tho iprinoipal harbour' jiDtl' township of tho Chathams— villi, it w Jinticipatvid,, bo ready 1 to" receive messages in .■about ten weeks tint*. ■ The plant,, or the greater part of it, , wns sent down from Wellington to WaitiuVgi by the steamer which ,loft., Wellington, last ovening. ;• In the yesspl's - holds were stacks ,of timber', and cn§cs,of.material and (aa passenger) she also took Mr. W. Furness, who is in charge of the Government's erecting gang, -nnd. ; si:i assistants. '..On arrival' at Wai- • tan£i,/Mr, : Furn&s Will 1 proouro the ser'vioes'of .two-more men. , 1 As soon as all tho gear is ashore, it will be removed to a spot half a mile distant on tho slopes of the hill behind Waltftrigi, and then , a start will bo made to efcct the; wireless house and houses for tho officer*. . ■ .' Praotically; all the inildingis .required in the now installation hav6 undergone a trial "fit up" iii Wellington/ ahf were' afterwards pulled to pieces again for coh'venience in shipping and, The two poles (manufactured by' Messrs." S. Luko and' Son) will bo taken down by a later boat. Tho machine, it is said, will /ddvelop <i forking power of two kilowats. ilt is stated that communication with • New Zealand stations will be easily maintained at night, dnd also th&t (given anything. liko good conditions) tho distance between hero and the Chathams will be bridged by "aero" wavoS in the day time. Direct commercial results are, of course, nearly-nil; but.indireotly it is certain ■ that .outward-bound isteamers from New Zealand ports to London Will' be "held" for,greater distances than atpresent. For instance,: it is anticipated .that when Homeward-bound vessels got out of touch ,wlth New .' Zealand they :w}ll bo '"picked .' upl and'-"held" by tho Chatham Islands station, thus making communication with New. Zealand/ two days' longer at least •tftan at present,' > i '