All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

10 All About Inventions minds for many years, because thereby it was rendered possible to detect each succeeding electro-magnetic wave, with the relative interruptions between. But up to this time no attempt had been made to apply the discovery of Hertz to a commercial purpose. Signor Marconi realised this fact, and he accordingly devoted his energies to contrive ways and means to this end. He set himself to the solution of one definite task—the transmission and receipt of wireless signals through space by the Morse code. In order to achieve his purpose he was necessarily compelled to embrace the work of other investigators, such as the incorpora- tion of the coherer, which was the only known means of detecting the ether waves in those days; but at the same time a considerable amount of his work and instruments were of a pioneer character, and the fruits of his own thought and handiwork. Marconi was the first man to assemble the pieces of a scientific jig-saw puzzle in such a manner as to enable one to telegraph without wires, and for his success in this direction, and the correct commercial application of certain phases of previous knowledge, he is entitled to the honour of being called the inventor of wireless tele- graphy. The Germans, with the Telefunken system, sought to deprive him of this distinction, but through- out the rest of the world the Teuton contention receives scant attention. At the same time it is only fair to remark that other scientists, once their attention had been drawn to the possibilities of wireless telegraphy, attacked the problem energetically, and some of these diligent toilers have contributed in no small manner to the present success of etheric communication. Among