A WIRELESS WONDER

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1920, Page 3

A WIRELESS WONDER

S.O.S. THAT RINGS A BELL. LONDON, Jan. 10. I The first demonstration of a new I wireless instrument, enabling the opI editor in a ship in distress to ring lotict I alarm bells in all vessels or stations within wireless range, was given at the Marconi works, Chelmsford, Essex, yesterday. When the Titanic sank, a vessel was within 20 miles, but the distress signals were not heard owing to the operator being in bed. It is necessary for ships to carry a special automatic transmitter and receiver, and when an emergency arises the operator presses the key of the transmitter, and m the fraction of a minute the signal, consisting of Morse clots, sent at exactly 180 per minute, is being received by every vessel within range carrying a receiver, and a bell is kept ringing until the operator establishes ordinary wireless comuniea-

tion. For the demonstration, a portI able wireless was stationed thirty miles I away at Shalford, and upon a Pressman telephoning by wireless the device was put into operation. The dots could be I heard at -the receiver, and a hell rang until stopped. The range is not liiritcd, I but depends upon the power of the | transmitter. Eighty miles is considerled a usual and a sufficient distance. I During the war, the device was used I for exploding mines, etc., and an illustration of its efficacy was made yesterday, gunpowder being fired by wireless I sent from thirty miles away. At the Marconi works at Chelmsford, says the “Morning Post,” there is a wireless mast 450 ft high, or higher than I the cross on the top of St Paul’s. A short time ago the highest part of it was broken by a gale, and the question of repairing it arose. Ladders were out of the question. But the difficulties did not daunt one of the workmen, who noticed that the mast was made of quarto sections holted_together and then fitted one on top of the other. He asked, and was givep perniisinn, tp try his luck. He made himself a belt, at tbe twq ends of which were rings that would slipover the ends of the holts. He also made for each hand a ring that fitted the holts. Thus equipped, he started to mount on high, the belts being his only means of support. Oil the first day ho swarmed up 2©oft, fitted the tackle, and descended to earth, for it was too cold to proceed further. On the second day he was hoisted up the 200 feet, and then, hand over hand, liv means of his rings, and bolts, he got to the top of the mast, where he effected the necessary repairs. The last 250 ft of climbing was done in an hour. And the mail, whose name was Post, was 55 years of age.