John W Ellis was blind from birth. Dispite this, he designed and built his own Wireless plant in 1910. Knowing both the continental and commercial code, his keen sence of hearing greatly benifits him as a wireless operator.
Having never seen what he built, he is told that it is far simpler and lighter and more compact than those being used by the big wireless companies. He used a silicon cup for the resistance where some of the machines have carborundum. It has a coil made of thin copper wire wound around a wodden sylinder and then enamelled. Using about twenty-four dry cell batteries making up the main part of the outfit. He received both Marconi and DeForrest systems.
John gave demonstrations in New York at the headquarters of the New York Association for the Blind and Madison Square Garden and here in Rhode Island at Watson's Drug Store on Pawtuxet square where he has his plant set up in one of the rooms. At the Rhode Island demonstration he contacted a ship 200 miles off land and also with Boston and
Point Judith wireless stations.
On of his demos, "Blind Workers Exposition" in the Metropolitan Oprea House in Newy York, was attended by President Taft in 1911.
