Cape Cod History

1908: Marconi sends messages 1,700 miles to sea from Cape Cod; 2002 Aerosmith arson

WIRELESS WAVES TO BRITAIN
Marconi Secretary Says Signals Have Frequently Crossed Atlantic

On this day in 1908 the Marconi station in Wellfleet was sending wireless messages to vessels at sea as far offshore as 1,700 miles.  In 1900, Marconi set up a high-powered transmitting station at Poldhu, on the English Coast at Cornwall. In 1901, Marconi built a wireless station at Signal Hill, Newfoundland and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On the right is a photograph taken that year of his station in South Wellfleet.

Marconi selected Cape Cod since it had been described by Henry David Thoreau as a place "where a man may stand and put all of America behind him." After passing up a location in Barnstable and being denied permission to build his wireless station near the Highland Light, Marconi settled for an eight-acre site on a high bluff in South Wellfleet. Marconi set up headquarters at the Holbrook House in Wellfleet.

2002: Aerosmith arson

On this day in 2002, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton's home on Cape Cod caught fire and was burned to the ground. No one was hurt.

The South Wellfleet station was similar to the Poldhu one with a circular series of twenty 200-foot ship's masts set back 165 feet from the edge of the bluff.

Storms blew down the aerials at Poldhu on September 17, 1901 and a Nor'easter toppled the aerials on Cape Cod on November 25th. Nevertheless, Marconi received the first transatlantic signal - the three-dot Morse code letter "S" tapped out from Poldhu on December 12th at the Newfoundland station. The aerial at Poldhu was held aloft by a canvas kite. (Read More)