Father Gherzi pointed out that between the years 1911 and 1918 no great development was possible. Wireless came into play In 1016! through the French munietpal wire Jess station, but st was not until 1918 that ships were fitted with receivers, and even then the number so fitted was not large, Consequently, the warning work on the part of the Observatory was restricted to har-hour offices and to ships lying in harbour, and the real value of the messages sent out was to advise vessels to remain In port for the time being, or advising them that they could leave if their route lay outside the typhoon rack, 'This also applied' to depression and gale signals. At this time the number of weather stations in the Bast had decreased, due to the unrest prevailing in many parts of China and to the change of rule in. Central and Eastern Siberia, In 1020 Father Gherai returned to China from a visit to Europe, and brought with him the first wireless set provided with "tubes" to be installed at Zikawei, a similar receiver having already been installed at the French municipal radio station. From this time onward ships began' to be imiarly equipped, and the sensitivity of the new type' receivers enabled them to connect at considerable distance with the "spark transmission' operated In Koukaza Park, This was a tremendous advance in making available to ships far out at sea the weather warnings Issued from Zikawei, This made possible also the receipt of reports from vessels at sea, and Ju this way a very useful link was established with those ships which had gone too close to a typhoon, People in those days often wondered how it could be possible, by means of these few tubes. to receive and os instancing the friendly collaboration between the Chinese off. dals and the Observatory Father Gheral referred with pride to. the establishment of the Pratas "Shoal Weather Station. Zikawei had the pleasure of training fourteen young Officers belonging to the China Coast Administration. "Following the ereelon of a long-wave wireless station by the Telefunken Company, Father Gherzi_and some of his colleagues went to Pratas Island and assisted in Atting up a short-wave transmitter, thus "enabling work to commence early in 1027, The Hongkong and Manila Observatories. were now able. during the typhoon season to receive hourly observations from this out-'Post, so valuable for reckoning when ther a passing typhoon would be Ilkely to enter the Formosa Strait or continue its course toward the Tongking Gulf or Hainan Island, 'Thus was. registered another decided step forward In-the interests of the seafaring community, and since. that time' Zikawei Slation has every evening been working the Pratas Station on short wave, Father Gherzi here paused to pay. a very warm tribute to. "my old boys" for their devoted service in Keeping constant watch on such a Darren and torrid spot as—Pratas Island. "Many times." he said, "it has given us a decided thrill when fon a calm summer evening we have from our room at Zikawei linked up with the Pratas Station, and learned sometimes of a hurricane blowing over the island and flooding the small house occupied by our friends."
Tribute to Collaborators Due to the establishment -of other short-wave stations the weather reports, received at Zikawei continued to Increase greatly. The Observatories at Hongkong, In Indo-China, and at Manila installed short-wave transmitters, and a very valuable link with Zikawei was formed in the interests, of International shipping. Early in the present decade the Chinese Government showed very great interest, and activity in the advance of wireless. Father Gheral here spoke highly the services rendered in 1034 in this direction by Dr. Y. C. Wen. of the Ministry of Communications, in charge of the wireless in Shanghai, and his associates, to whom is largely due the fact that in that year a vast not of reporting stations was working established about "the year 1930, under the directorship of Dr. Chu Ko-ching, also rendered efficient service. To these oMelals of the Chinese Government, and to a host of others, Father Gheral desired to extend the thanks of "their friend, Zikawet Observatory," making special mention of Mr. Chu Kal-hwa, former Minister of Communications, and Mr. Orlando Pao, with his assistants at the Mingkuo Road and Foochow Road offices, for continuous help in the extension of the work of the Observatory.
The Director also acknowledged with gratitude the generous help various foreign naval units stationed in Far Eastern waters, especially those of Italy and America. whose messages direct from Europe. To the uninitiated St seemed a work of magi, The high sensitivity of the new recelvers also enabled the Observatory: to receive time signals from the European observatories, and thus correct the astronomical clocks when, sometimes for periods of a week oF two, cloudy weather had made the taking of observations from the stars impossible, Short-wave Transmission The next advance came with the introduction of the short waves and transmission by means of valves. This decupleted the range of the warnings issued, and, thanks to the continuous generous assistance of the French municipal radio station, the radius of the Zikawei weather service was continuously increased until, in 1927 it was able under good weather conditions to get into touch with all Far Eastern stations, 'The Observatory was the "first station In China {o put into operation a short-wave' transmitter, frst 100 metres then on 42 metres, and "finally on 24 metres. Early in 1925 this enabled the Observatory to link up direct with Manila Observatory. In this way very useful data was obtained from the Philippines, thus complementing the reports, Fegularly received in the usual way through' the courtesy of the Great] Northern and Eastern Extension Telegraph Companies.
Ca-operation with Government The Chinese Government were quick to realize the utility of these "valve receivers and transmitters ikawel Observate
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.