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

Wireless Telegraphy 17 the greatest distance over which wireless had been attempted up to this time. On Monday, March 27th, 1899, all preparations were completed, and the representatives of the French Government gathered at the Wimereux station. The actual operations were carried out by Signor Mar- coni himself in co-operation with his chief engineer, Mr. Jameson Davis. At five o’clock everything was ready for the sending of the first wireless message across the Channel. The French engineers and scientists gathered round the instrument, the Morse key of which was held by Signor Marconi. One and all were on the tiptoe of expectancy. Signor Marconi depressed the key giving the Morse code of the letter " Vwhich signified the call. Slowly and deliberately he sent the first brief message, in which he informed Dover that he was using a two-centimetre spark. Then the letter V was again repeated three times, signifying the end of the message. Intense silence reigned in the room, the ears of one and all being strained to the utmost to catch the faintest click in the receiver. The tension lasted for a few moments. Then came a loud ticking of dot and dash. The roll of paper on the tape-wheel spun round, and as it was scanned the dots and dashes of the Morse code were observed to resolve themselves into the Roman characters forming the words: “ Your message is perfect. Same here. Two centimetres.” And the apparently impossible was accomplished. The Channel was bridged by wireless. The unfaltering manner in which the message came