Ship Telephones

A Mrs. Morris Sampter of Manhattan was at sea. She wanted to talk to her sister, a Mrs. Emil Berolzheimer. Mrs. Berolzheimer was also at sea, 150 miles away, on another German liner. Nevertheless, Mrs. Sampter marched into a telephone booth aboard her ship, the North German Lloyd Columbus, and was soon gabbling with her sister, on the Hamburg-American Deutschland, about fashions, family matters and a political dinner Mrs. B.'s brother-in-law had lately attended. For eight minutes they talked, exclaiming, interrupting each other, both talking at once. After she rang off, Mrs. Sampter paid the wireless operator of the Columbus her toll, $2.50.

It was the result of two years' experimenting, this wireless telephonic conversation where the two parties could talk to and hear each other simultaneously. Hitherto messages could be spoken only one way at a time, but German engineers have eliminated the interference of sending with receiving antennae. Just a push of a switch and the listener could become the talker. The duplex set operated on a wavelength of 1,800 or 1,450 meters. It was found effective up to 700 miles. Other conversations were held between the Columbus and persons in their offices in Germany; and when the Columbus reached Manhattan, U. S. telephone officials went aboard to examine the device, to plan shore stations in the U. S.