The Wireless Revolution Saves the Tower (1901-1914)

The advent of wireless telegraphy proved to be the tower's salvation. In 1901, Eiffel invited Eugène Ducretet to attempt radio transmission from the tower. The first successful broadcast reached the Panthéon, 4 kilometers away. By 1903, Captain Gustave Ferrié had established a permanent radio station, communicating with forts around Paris.

The tower's radio capabilities caught military attention. In 1906, the French Army began using it for wireless communication, reaching ships in the Mediterranean. The international community took notice when the tower's radio station intercepted and relayed distress signals, saving lives at sea.

Marguerite Durand, one of France's first female journalists, wrote in 1908: "The tower we once called ugly has become our voice to the world. It speaks across oceans, saves sailors from death, and connects France to her colonies. Who now dares call for its destruction?"

The 1909 deadline arrived with barely a whisper of demolition. The tower had made itself essential to French communications and defense. The city council voted unanimously to extend Eiffel's concession indefinitely.