Radio broadcast .. (1922-30)

388 Radio Broadcast tember, 1909. His first work was to organize the radio department as distinct and separate from the electrical department, and to rebuild the Cape San Antonio station, to complete the installation of the Fessenden radio sets on all of the Company ships and to supervise the experimental work and tests being conducted at the New Orleans station. What is believed to be the first commercial use of the famous Fessenden heterodyne invention was between Cape San Antonio and New Orleans during 1910 and 1911. New and improved receiving apparatus was installed at all stations at about this period, and additional transmitting apparatus installed at both Port Limon and Bocas del Toro. In the latter part of 1911, Mr. Musgrave resigned from the Company and went to Alaska, returning about two years later to Seattle, where he died. To his persistence, in the face of discouragements and construction difficulties always encountered by the pioneer, is largely due what is to-day a very important link in commercial communication facilities between the United States and Central America. Upon the resignation of Mr. Musgrave, Mr. Davis was appointed General Superintendent of the Radio Department, the headquarters of which were moved from New Orleans to New York. Also in this year the United Fruit Company acquired an interest in the Wireless Specialty Apparatus Company, established in 1907 for the purpose of exploiting the radio inventions of Professor Pickard. The Company had been paying high prices for its radio equipment, and its activities had grown to a point where radio laboratory facilities became essential for developing the ideas of its own personnel and particularly so that it could, in a measure, control the design of radio apparatus particularly fitted to withstand tropical conditions. Since 1911 the Wireless Specialty Apparatus Company has supplied all of the United Fruit Company's transmitting apparatus up to 5 K. W. power and all of its receiving equipment. The United Fruit Company is now purchasing its high powered transmitting apparatus from the Radio Corporation of America. The General Electric Company later became associated with it in the Wireless Specialty Apparatus Company. By 1911 certain parts of the New Orleans and Cape San Antonio stations had become more or less obsolete, and, as they did not fulfil all of the exacting requirements of the Company, it was decided to select a new and permanent station site at New Orleans where a more modern and powerful station could be erected, to rebuild and re-equip Swan Island in its entirety, and to establish a new highpowered station at Santa Marta, Colombia. Accordingly, a contract was made with the Marconi Wireless Company of America to furnish for each of these stations 50 K. W. 5OO-cycle rotary synchronous spark transmitting apparatus. At New Orleans the site selected occupies twenty acres of ground upon which were erected four steel masts of the guyed Marconi type, 320 feet in height which permitted of the erection of a directional antenna measuring 300 feet by 600 feet, with an effective height of approximately 275 feet. The station buildings were of concrete and consisted of operating house, power house and machine shop. At Swan Island the original site was en THE RADIO STATION AT SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA Showing the power house, operating house, and residence for employees