When, at the close of 1901, Marconi first announced to the world his marvellous achievement that he had received a signal from Poldhu at St. John’s, Nfld., many were incredulous and doubted its possibility, even many scientific men were sceptical and suggested many reasons why there might be an error in the experiment made. Amongst these were Edison, Graham, Bell, Sir Wm. Preece and others but, when the facts became known, all had to admit the success of the experiment and the accuracy of Marconi’s statement.
Mr. Edison became a warm believer in wireless telegraphy, and is now identified with its development. Soon after this triumph of the young Italian, the voice of the company promoter was heard in the land.
A wireless telegraph company was organized in England. This company had the audacity to claim an exclusive monopoly to operate the Marconi system, but this the British authorities refused to grant. Following this a company was formed for the same purpose in the United States and one in Canada, these being all more or less co-related.
The principal object being to establish wireless communication between Europe and America, a wireless station was erected at Glace Bay, Cape Breton and one at Cape Cod, Mass., early in 1903. When these were completed communication was for a short time carried on.
A congratulatory message from President Roosevelt to King Edward was transmitted and a reply returned by the King, but the system broke down and it has so remained.
Mr. Marconi has been (ever since the mishap) devoting his inventive genius to the perfecting of his devices, and, it is believed, transatlantic communication will be once more re-established within a very short period. Meanwhile, these companies are not standing still, but are very busily engaged in equipping passenger steamships with Marconi wireless instruments, enabling vessels to communicate with each other or with the stations on land on either side of the Atlantic. The wireless telegraph business is constantly increasing and becoming very lucrative. Traffic is now interchanged between the British Government telegraph lines, the American and Canadian telegraph companies and the wireless companies, so that a message can now be sent from any telegraph station to a person aboard ship, or vice versa, by payment of the tolls required for each company’s service. This seems to be naturally the proper sphere for wireless telegraphy.
In time every ship that floats, whether naval or mercantile, will eventually be installed with Marconi apparatus. This should be made one of the conditions of insurance, if not compulsory. As far as being successful competitors with existing land or cable telegraph systems, it is more than doubtful, except in places where no other telegraph system can be maintained. Wireless telegraphy for a long time to come will merely be auxiliary or supplementary to the land and cable systems, and mutually beneficial to each instead of being antagonistic.
The wireless system of telegraphy will be of immense benefit to Canadian shipping interests owing to the long stretch of river navigation from Montreal to the Gulf.
Several minor stations have been erected recently on the Lower St. Lawrence and are now working satisfactorily.
The Canadian Government recognized the importance of wireless telegraphy in its inception and granted Marconi a substantial sum to enable him to build his wireless station at Glace Bay. The public hardly yet realize its great possibilities.