in which all of the orders were sent by wireless, and
communication was constantly maintained both between the flag-ships
and the vessels of their fleets and between the flag-ships and the
shore. Marconi's invention had again proved itself.

The wireless early demonstrated its great value as a means of saving
life at sea. Lightships off the English coast were equipped with the
wireless and were thus enabled to warn ships of impending storms,
and on several occasions the wireless was used to summon aid from the
shore when ships were sinking because of accidents near the lightship.

Following the establishment of communication with France, Marconi
increased the range of his apparatus until he was able to cover most
of eastern Europe. In one of his demonstrations he sent messages
to Italy. His ambition, however, was to send messages across the
Atlantic, and he now attacked this stupendous task. On the coast of
Cornwall, England, he began the construction of a station which should
have sufficient power to send a message to America. Instead of using
a single wire for his aerial, he erected many tall poles and strung a
number of wires from pole to pole. The comparatively feeble batteries
which had furnished the currents used in the earlier efforts were
replaced with great power-driven dynamos, and converters were used
instead of the induction coil. Thus was the great Poldhu station
established.

Late in 1901 Marconi crossed to America to superintend the
preparations there, and that he himself might be ready to receive
the first message, should it prove possible to span the ocean. Signal
Hill, near St. John's, Newfoundland was selected as the place for the
American station. The expense of building a great aerial for the test
was too great, and so dependence was had upon kites to send the wires
aloft. For many days Marconi's assistants struggled with the great
kites in an effort to get them aloft. At last they flew, carrying the
wire to a great height. The wire was carried into a small Government
building near by in which Marconi stationed himself. At his ear was a
telephone receiver, this having been substituted for the relay and the
Morse instrument because of its far greater sensitiveness.

Marconi had instructed his operator at Poldhu to send simply the
letter "s" at an hour corresponding to 12.30 A.M. in Newfoundland.
Great was the excitement and suspense in Cornwall when the hour for
the test arrived. Forgetting that