The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-09-26 00:00:00

TELEGRAPHING THE ST. LEGER.

Large as is the business of the Telegraph Depart-
ment in connection with the race meetings of the
United Kingdom, that transacted at Doncaster during
the past week fairly eclipsed anything ever attained
before. Last year, when close upon 13,000 messages
were forwarded and received during the four days of
the meeting, including 4,000 on the "St. Leger " day,
it was thought that an outside limit had been reached,
for on no previous occasion had anything like that
number been realized in so short a time. But last
week the total number for the four days reached
the astounding figure of 16,500 messages, being
an average of more than 4,000 a day, while on
Wednesday no fewer than 6,144 were forwarded
and received between the town and Grand Stand offices.
Of the total number forwarded, close upon 1,500, con-
taining upwards of 110,000 words, equal to GO columns
of The Times, were sent on behalf of the Press; while
not far short of 250 were sent to the Continent and
abroad. There were just under 4,200 messages for
delivery to such vague addresses as the "Grand
Stand," the "Betting Ring," &c. ; and on the huge
board where the messages are displayed until called for
bytheirowners, as many as 400 might be seen atone time
on the" St Leger "day. The ground and passages were
strewn with empty envelopes; and on no previous oc-
casion has anything like the number qf messages
arrived at a racecourse for delivery to their some-
what erratic addresses as on Wednesday in last week
at Doncaster. The scene at the telegraph counter
immediately after the great race almost baffles descrip-
tion. The Post-Office had advised the senders of
"result" messages to be prepared with stamps, or
stamped message forms, in advance ; and so largely had
this advice been followed, that several hundred mes-
sages were thrust at the clerks through the small
pigeon holes within a few minutes of the decision
of the "St. Leger." Within about half an hour
not far short of a thousand messages had been
thus handed in ; and inside the office, after the
din and confusion outside had subsided, some dozen
or more instruments might be heard clattering
away with their never wearied tongues of steel.
London, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle,
Edinburgh, and Glasgow were all being communicated
with simultaneously fr,m the Grand Stand; and
throughout the meeting so many as four wires
were worked; o the central station in London, and
two to Manchester. Naturally there was some
little delay on Wednesday, from the simple fact
that more messages were handed in at one time
than the wires could possibly carry. But within
two hours of the decision of the race —viz., at 5.35
—the office was practically clear of work, not-
withstanding that upwards of 2,500 messages had been
disposed of since its opening, about noon. Inside
the office there was just as much regularity and method
as there was din and confusion outside; and the
only incident which momentarily distracted the at-
tention of the clerks was the tumbling of a man
through the skylight, who had, presumably, got up
there for the purpose of handing in a message, so as to
avoid the crush at the counter. The heaviest meeting
for telegraphing prior to that at Doncaster last week
was the Newmarket "Houghton" of last year, when
upwards of 14,200 messages were forwarded and re-
ceived, of which number more than 3,500 accrued
on the " Cambridgeshire " day. Then follows the
Goodwood meeting of this year, with a total of
12,7.00 messages for the week, and 2,600 on the
" Stakes " day ; the Epsom Summer Meeting,
with 12,500 messages for the week, and 4,200
on the " Derby " day; the Newmarket First Spring,
with 12,000 messages for the week, and 3,500
on the "Two Thousand" day; and the Cheater
meeting, with a total of 11,600 messages, and 4,100
on the "Cup " day. At Doncaster a staff of 28 clerks
and nine messengers was employed in addition to the
ordinary staff of the office, which numbers five clerks
and four messengers. The Wheatstone system of
, working was brought into extensive operation, and the
working power of the office would be equal to that of
about 15 or 16 ordinary wires. The arrangements
were, as usual, in the hands of the special staff,
attached to the chief office in London, assisted by
; contingents from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and
s Birmingham.—The Ti EL