Radio Broadcast - 1927, May - 61 Pages, 4.9 MB ... - VacuumTubeEra

14 RADIO BROADCAST MAY, 1927prevent their annihilation, Moravian missionariesfrom Germany risked and sacrificedtheir lives for the cause. They havebeen able to keep the race alive for over ahundred and forty years by their persistent,self sacrificing work. Protection fromthe diseases of the fisherman has been oneof the most important problems they faced,and their station at Nain was hiddenaway so as to make its approach by thewhite man very difficult.In hunting for Nain, Commodore Metcalfhad given way to the opinions of othersas to where we should head the Sachem.His good sense of direction finally won thecourage of his convictions when he informedus that we would hoist anchor atfive A. M. and arrive at Nain at eight.At 8:20 we dropped the hook alongsidethe Bvwdoin at Nain.In going south from Nain to Battle Harbor,we stopped nearly every night. Wehad two days at Jack Lane's Bay whereAbe Bromfield lived. Arrangements weremade to take him to the States for thewinter. We were all as much interested inhis trip to civilization as Abe himself. Abehad never seen a railroad train, an automobile,a horse, or many of the other thingsthat are so common to us. Just how hewould be impressed by all these things wasa matter of much speculation on our part.Some of our stops on the Labrador coastandrepresented agony because of the fliesmosquitoes. At one placeIarranged to setup some apparatus for measuring earthcurrents that exist during aurora displays.I soaked myself with Flit and went ashoreto locate a suitable place. The effect of theFlit did not last long. I was compelled toretreat to the ship with all the speed Icould put behind the Idory was in. Theswellings and itching from the fly biteslasted for days.In comparison with what the three womenwho were with us on the Sachem sufferedfrom the flies, I had no reason tocomplain. They went ashore, protectedby head nets, but the flies easily workedtheir way through. Miss Fisher's face wasswollen up like a toy balloon while MissSmith suffered with hundreds of bites butwas not affected by such swelling.I was able to get additional data on therelation between the aurora and radioevery night. In addition to the aurora data,notes were taken on the barometer readingsand on the mirages that were so common.At times we were able to get photographsof the ice mirages. After reporting to RADIOBROADCAST about the mirages, the editorsent me a message quoting a press reportthat read as follows: "Captain Rose, ofSteamer President Adams, at 8 P.M. July15, in Mediterranean Sea, bound for PortSaid, states they saw 'large field of floatingice cakes suspended above horizonand presently a number of small piecesdrifted into view followed by a large one.The latter was so clear we could see blueand green veins in the ice.'"Early in the trip, Commander MacMillansaid that if conditions were right, itwould be possible to see mirages of images table phonograph with a large number ofcrew. I held back on the broadcast music success as the ticket taker almost passedbecause we had an excellent Sonora por- out while Abe walked on in.half way around the earth. Considering records and because the reception up tolight and radio waves to be the same thing, that time did not have much entertainmentexcept for difference in frequency,it seemed value. It was possible to hear broadcastthat there might be some connection betweenstations faintly as they faded in and outthe mirages and radio phenomena. but to try to get them regularly seemedIn the data collected, there appeared tobe a rather definite relation between barometriconly a waste of time.I noticed that many of the missionariespressure, mirages, aurora, magnetic in Labrador and governors in Greenlandstorms, and radio fading. The data is by have receivers that had been given themno means complete but the observations the previous year by Commander E. F.substantiate the following statements: MacDonald. With their large antennas,they are able to hear stations in the States1. and aurora only occur with heavyMirages pressure.reasonably well in the summer. Winter reception2. The relation between the aurora and radiois reported as excellent.fading depends upon the following:The 63-meter (476o-kc.) signals from(a). Formation of aurora and its location in KDKA came in well during most of the summerrespect to the approaching radio wave andbut were subject to bad fading. Thethe receiving station,325-meter (9225-^.) signals from WGY(b.) Frequency of the radio signal.appeared very steady and fairly strongIn accounting for the fading, the temperaturewhile we were in Greenland.is an important factor in the for-mulas already worked out for mirages. ABACK TO CIVILIZATIONmore detailed account of the data and the conclusions drawn will be taken up in a IF want to find out how great a finebig juicy beef steak can taste, just takelater article.a three months' trip into the north and liveIt might be well to mention here that on canned goods as we did. When wecommunication between the Bowdoin and up with fresh supplies on our arrivalSachem was never hampered due to "skip Sydney, Nova Scotia, we all ate like wilddistance" effect. The distance between the men. With the crew fed up on red meat,two ships varied between three feet and the captain was afraid to let the men handlethree hundred miles during the trip and the lines for fear of breaking all we had.we always communicated on waves betweenOn the last leg of the voyage beforethirty-two and forty-two meters reaching the States, we ran into some very(9370 and 7140 kc.).heavy weather off the Nova Scotia coast.We found Battle Harbor filled up tight Most of us on the Bowdoin and Sachem experiencedseasickness but it did not lastwith eighteen fishing vessels, and we werecompelled to anchor in what is known as long on the Sachem as Commodore Metcalf"Outer Harbor." We had prepared to put aboard a supply of "seasick pills" atwait there until the mail boat arrived on Sydney which served their purpose nicely.name the following day hoping that a new reverseI believe their trade is "Sea Oxyl."gear would be aboard for us. Ac-This is not a free advertisement it iscording to calculations, the chances seemed sympathetic advice.very poor and the next boat was not due Our arrival at Wiscasset on Septemberfor two weeks.the eleventh does not end the story. AbeThe story about the reverse gear, however, Bromfield has to be accounted for. Atdisplays the efficiency of modern means of Sydney, Abe appeared to be mostcommunication. The extent of the damage interested in the railroad whistle and adone to the gear which was caused when long train of cars. At Wiscasset, he couldwe ran aground on the Arctic Circle, was not understand why they had small lighthousesin the middle of the streets.not determined until an examination wasmade at Holsteinborg. A radiogram was Commander MacMillan was engaged tosent through on the night of the examinationto the offices of John G. Alden, the went with him. In a day and a half Com-speak at the New York Radio Show. Abeship's designers, in Boston. This message mander E. F. MacDonald showed Abewas received by them when the offices more of New York than I had seen in awere opened at nine in the morning. A wire year and a half. Abe remembers every detailwas sent from there to the makers of theof this trip, for his memoryis remarkable.Reporters all shot the stock questiongear but not knowing the type used, theywired the builders of the engine in Columbus,at him: "What do you think of AmericanOhio, for this information. By noon a flappers?" Abe's confidential report is thatwire was received at the Alden offices from the Wiscasset girls are much prettier thanthe makers of the gear that a new one had the ones in New York.been shipped express, special handling. Abe is a great one for shaking hands. IOnly by a margin of a few hours, the gear am sure he would enjoy exchanging placesreached the mail steamer before sailing, with President Coolidge at times. On oneand we received it the morning after arrivingBattle Harbor.MacDonald into the New York Radiooccasion, Abe was following CommanderIt was not until we reached Battle Harborthat IShow when the ticket taker put out hisput any broadcast music on the hand. Abe shocks hands with him. Thisloud speaker for the entertainment of the first attempt at crashing gates was a grand