THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1912. VIA WIRELESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10559, 15 February 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1912. VIA WIRELESS.

In "Chambers' Journal" a "wireless telegraphist" describes the characteristic experiences of that highly modern trade. It is only within the last eight or ten years, since wireless telegraphy came into practical use for commercial and other purposes, that a demand arose for the wireless operator. Very uncertain were his hest efforts at 'first. Apparatus behaved in. a fashion puzzling even to scientific experts, bewildering to the newtaught telegraphist. On his first night' of duty on a liner, the receiver worked beautifully, and a message was recorded from a vessel some miles away. "We are the Minerva; we are operating experimentally. Please reply." This was answered, yet still the same remarks came running off the tape, and when "We are the Minerva," etc., had been repeated a dozen times in a few minutes, tho liner's captain grew furious. "Tell them to chuck the machine overboard. Ask who let it loose. Tell them to work for Colne-y Hatch." In spite of all his operators could say or do, that irritating message went on re : 'peating itself for an hour, until the Minerva got beyond her operating radius of fifty miles, and the monotonous conversation had to end. It was unlucky that on another night, when a message had been expected, results

were equally bad. Nothing but a mysterious jumble of letters came out on the tape in jerks. "It is just possible," said the official, "that wo have picked up a message on code, passing between two men-of-war." "Or perhaps there is a monkey on a raft somewhere near us," growled the captain, "and he is sending us messages with a biscuit tin." And all the while this unexpected code was worked by a big beetle, whose crawling ' about the relay of the receiver made dots and dashes where there should not have been any. Queer noises, caused by atmospheric influences, often worry the novice at telegraphy. He replies to an imaginary signal, and receives a shower of abuse for careless interference with one of His Majesty's ships. Next day he neglects a signal which turns out to be genuine, and is abused still more for slowness in answering a call. But during the last few years wireless ha's been immensely improved, and liners think nothing of having a staff of operators receiving and despatching messages all the voyage through. A theatrical manager can improve the time by purchasing the rights in plays. Business men keep in touch with their partners' doings, and passengers running short of cash send requests to their bankers for a remittance. This last facility, by the way, is not always appreciated. We hear of one man who lost nearly all Ills ready money in cards before the vessel was two days out. On receiving telegraphic advice from his banker for one hundred and fifty pounds,- he fell to cards once more. When lie left the ship, with only a five-pound note'remaining, he declared he would never send a wireless message again.