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The Henderson PhotosMarconi High-Power WirelessBelmar Stationaka Camp Evans1914 |
 
Henderson photographer 1914 |
|
The 1914 view on left of five of the station's 400-foot masts, the same view in 2001 on right.
Note the man on mast #3, the second in the photo. To get to the top of a mast to adjust a wire one would be pulled up in a boatswain's chair by a rope looped through a pulley at the top of the mast. At the other end of the rope was a something doing the pulling, like the horse in this 1914 photo. Later cars would replace the horse as in the story below. This is an account from an interview of two radio and wireless pioneers of a memorable day at work here in Wall (It was called the Belmar Station) on these very masts.
From: Harold H. Beverage and H.O. Peterson, Electrical Engineers, an oral history conducted in 1968 and 1973 by Norval Dwyer, IEEE History Center, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. used with permission
(Click on the title to read the entire interview )
We have a new addition here, Dr. H.O. Peterson. He has been associated
with me for some forty years. He was first employed as one of Alexanderson's
men on his staff, and he came out here to Riverhead. When was it? About
1920, Pete?
Peterson: About 1922. We went down to Belmar first and we spent about a year down there. Remember when you and Walton and Callahan used to commute down to Belmar?
Beverage: Yes, I remember one of the episodes where I tried out being a rigger. We wanted to connect the triadics, the guy-wires, to make some big loops. So I proceeded to take the Ford car and put Mr. Walton in the boatswain's chair and hoist him up a 400 foot mast. He got about three quarters the way up when he told me to stop, which I did. But he kept right on going because the cable was heavier than he was. He had to slip out of the boatswain's chair and hang on by his elbows so as to not bang his head on the pulley at the top.
Peterson: It might have pulled him right through. 
Beverage: Yes, that would have been really disastrous. So that wasn't so good, but he went ahead; he connected the loops and did all that was necessary, and the problem then was to help get him down. So I backed the car up and I began to let up on the cable and finally got him started down. He got down about three-quarters of the way and Walton plus the cable was heavier than I was, so I started to go up! And you remember John Lown?
Peterson: Yes.
Beverage: He must have weighed about 300 pounds. He was a linemen. He came along just in time, we got 300 pounds on the line and we got it under control. That was the last time I ever tried to be a rigger.
Dwyer: That's a good man who knows his own limitations.
Beverage: Yes.
(Click
here
for other links to information on Dr. Beverage and the Beverage
Antenna)
Can you pick out the guy wire anchor above? On the right is the
same and only surviving anchor from mast #2 on May 5, 2001
Bob Howd of Wall has told this was the Elmer Family farm.
We believe this is the Edward Morris Farm on Morris Lane. Note
barn and windmill. The house remains but was remodeled removing chimneys.
Two closer looks at the guy wire anchor from mast #2 on May 5, 2001
Page updated December 31, 2003
page created November 5, 2001
InfoAge 1998-2001
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