WIRELESS ON THE MAITAI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 940, 12 January 1911, Page 4

WIRELESS ON THE MAITAI.

THE WELLINGTON STATION. During the run down from ’Frisco to Wellington the operator (Mr A. D- Gabriel) on the Union Company’s steamer Maitai did some long-distance talking. On two occasions, at least, the Maitai was in communication with stations 1,200 miles away, the Californian coast being “ picked ” up three nights out from ’Frisco, and the Ulimaroa, which was forty miles from Otago Heads at the time, was also spoken. When the Maitai was about 300 miles from San Francisco, her operator heard the s.s. Mariposa, 600 miles away, trying to get into communication with the American port, but the distance proved too great, and the message had to be transmitted to the shore by the Maitai’s instrument. The machine is exactly similar to that on the Aoraugi, and has been working very wel' on this its first trial. The last night, however, owing to the condition of the carborundum used, the machine was faulty, and although it was ascertained that the Ulimaroa, which was en route from Lyttelton to Wellington, could distinctly hear messages from the Maitai, the latter vessel was at a disadvantage in receiving them owing to the condition stated above. The new plant for the G.P.O. station at Wellington arrived by the Maitai, and a start will be made to install it immediately. Next week it is hoped to have everything going in full swing, and Wellington will have the distinction of having the first fully equipped station in the Dominion. So far, however, none of the results achieved by the mail steamers approach that established by H.M.S. Powerful, when communication was established and maintained between that vessel, in the South Sea Islands, and the Challenger, at Auckland, the distance bridged being 2050 miles. The cable news was transmitted daily to the Powerful at the Islands.