The Wonder Book of Knowledge: The Marvels of Modern Industry and Invention, the Interesting Stories of Common Things, the Mysterious Processes of Nature Simply Explained
History
The Wonder Book of Knowledge: The Marvels of Modern Industry and Invention, the Interesting Stories of Common Things, the Mysterious Processes of Nature Simply Explained
Industrial arts -- History
It is believed that wireless telephony will form a most important
adjunct and extension to the existing schemes of communication. By its
means communication can be established between points where it is
impracticable to extend wires. For many reasons wireless telephony can
never take the place of wire systems, but it may be expected to
supplement them in a useful manner. Wireless telephone systems are
subject to serious interference from numerous conditions, atmospheric
and others. For many uses the fact that anyone suitably equipped can
listen in on a wireless telephone talk would be a serious limitation to
its use.
The Mobilization of Communication.
Besides these radio experiments, a demonstration has been given of the
availability of the Bell System and its wonderful potentiality in case
of an emergency which would require quick and satisfactory
intercommunication between the different departments of the government
and its scattered stations and officers throughout the whole country.
From 4 P. M., May 6, to 8 A. M., May 8, 1916, the United States Navy
Department and the American Telephone and Telegraph Company co-operated
in a general mobilization of the forces of communication. It was a test
of what could be done in a sudden military emergency, and was
gratuitously undertaken by the company at the request of the Secretary
of the Navy.
It was a sort of war game that brought into play the latest scientific
developments of telephone and telegraph communication, by wire and by
wireless, and demonstrated an efficiency that has not been attained in
any other country.
For some time the officers of the United States Navy had been working
together with the engineers of the Bell System in the study of wire and
wireless communications, and the Navy Department had permitted the
telephone engineers to use its towers for long-distance wireless
telephone experiments.
So, in the latest demonstration, the land towers of the navy were
utilized in connection with a wireless telephone installation on the
U. S. S. “New Hampshire,” and Captain Chandler, cruising off shore,
talked directly with the Secretary’s office in Washington.
For the time being the operating forces of the telephone company all
over the country were placed at the disposal of Captain W. H. G.
Bullard, Chief of the Bureau of Communications, and General
Superintendent of Plant F. A. Stevenson, of the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company, was assigned as his aide. While all the facilities of
the Bell System were available, only about 53,000 miles of wire were
necessary to connect all the navy yards and stations for telephonic and
telegraphic communication.
The successful demonstration showed that in case of any trouble
requiring any such service, because of the central control of the Bell
System, the government could have ready-made at its immediate disposal a
plant, equipment and operating staff which, for completeness and
efficiency, would not be possible in any other way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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