The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-20
CHAIN Ed LIGHTN In G.
The Telegraph In New YOrk-A Labyrinth
OF Wires-Bankers' and Merchants
Private Lines-The Gold and Stock
Exchange Electric Indicator
New Fire Alarm Telegraph.

Few persons are aware OF the extent 10 which the
telegraph being introduced into general use par
ticularly among business men In New York. Not
only is 1t taking the place OF the postal service In
nearly all transactions where expedition is lmpor-
tant, but even city messenger boys being super
seeded by electricity and bankers, brokers, mer-
chants and manufacturers are rapidly connecting
their residences and several places OF business with
private teegraphs until the city has already Become
vast and bewildering labyrinth of wires II a
BIRDS eye view Of this network could be OBJ
tanned what picture would be presented,
and how much 1t would remind one OF that
delicate and wonderful organization, mans nervous
system. Here Is the financial and commercial brain
or the Continent These wires that string along the
Streets that stretch from roof to roof and nterlace
In apparently mextrlcablc confusion are tbrobblng
with the impulses Of New York. The scores Of lines
that radiate from this great centre east NORTH west
and south are the nerves that quicken or depress
commercial life, according as this vital power may
nuctuate, and minutely communicate to the govern
ing intelligence every variation In the condition Of
the vast system subject TO its control Every one is
familiar with the general characteristics OF the tee
graph in this country. From the main lines,
centrlng In New York, branches diverge
and ramny through every section untl
scarcely . city in the United States can be
found that Is not connected by telegraph with all
the world; and now. when dstanA Is annihilated
and all parts OF the Union are being united by this
wonder OF the century, New York SEXES upon and
perfects it IN miniature. In describing the new and
unparalleled application OF the telegraph to the
ordinary transaction Of business In TINS city 1t is
proper to refer briefly to the lines centrng here,
ana whose connections give such importance to the
metropolis.
THE CoNvERGING LINES
from abroad number nearly 200. These are inde-
pendent of the wires belonging TO railroads and are
all devoted to the accommodation OF the public.
Most OF them come from the West and South,
crossing the Hudson by means Of cables, above
Jersey City, and the rest are divided between
the routes of the Hudson River Harlem and New
Haven railroads These lines include over 100, 900
miles OF wire in this country alone, and more than
5000 Offices, and some idea Of the amount OF work
performed by them may be formed from the fact
that the tolls on press dispatches transmitted by
single company last year. at the rate Of two and
three-tenths mills per word, amounted to nearly
s1,oooooo. and the gross receipts Of the same
pany for the year to $7,3l6,91s.
THE HUDSON RIVER CABLES
form an interesting feature OF the telegraph in New
York. These cross the river at the foot OF Fifteenth
Thlrtynintn, Flftynfth. Fftynnth and Seventy-sec-
ond Streets and are each from eight tons
weight. Most OF them composed OF twelve strands
of No. wire enclosing three telegraph wires They
fastened to the docks with chains ana are sufl-
centy strong to resist the strain Of vessels which,
anchoring near them, sometimes drag their anchors
and hook into cable. WaGcnmen are employed to
keep guard az the piers where the cables land and to
give notice whenever vessel Is foul OF the wires
In sucn cases 1t generally becomes necessary to
derrun the cable In order to detach the anchor Large
painted signs are planted at the ends OF the cables
warning vessels from anohorlng IN their vicinity,
and their locality being well known to craft the
wires are only disturbed when some vessel. anchor
ing up the stream drags her anchor and drifts down
with the current.
NEW YORK OFFICES.
seventy live o1ices and over $50 operators are
located IN the city. These belong exclusively to
regular companies, and are distributed among the
hotels and principal business centres. In addition
TO receiving and transmitting outside dispatches
they afford a convenient means OF communication
between business men In different parts Of the city,
and are generally crowded with messages. Thus
merchant down town, VINO may wish 10 communl-
cate with uptown parties instead OF sending an
boring telegraph station, securing expedition
and certainty OF delivery at less expense
John Smith. stopping at the Astor ''i Moase.
wants to see John Jones. guest OF the Fifth Avenue
HOTEL but not wishing to make the journey without
the certainty OF an interview, steps to the Aston
House telegraph office and asks Filth Avenue Hotel
II Jones is IN He gets reply IN minute or two
and can either have Jones wait for him can have
q note put in Jones' box designating an hour when
he will cali. New ofices are being opened almost
daily, ana gangs OF men are constantly employed
putting up wires through the city, SO that ut the
present rate OF progress in this particular short
time VIII suffice to connect all parts or the city vy
telegraph.
THE PRIVATE TELEGRApHs
OF New York are the great feature Of the vast eiec
trio network Of communication now being so rap
idly extended. Although only about four years
have elapsed since private lines were first intro
duced, nearly a hundred have already been put up
in the city, and the probabilities that the
Der Will be more than doubled In the next twelve
months. These lines are erected by private lnd
viduas between their residences and places OF busi-
only extend in ALI directions thrOuUh-
out the city, but cross into Brooklyn and
New Jersey, one private line being seven
OF the private lines consists In the instruments
used for the transmission OF messages. These are
ment commonly used in police stations, and are 80
simple In their operation that any person able to
read can be taught, IN Few moments to send and
receive messages No skilled operators are neces-
sary, and the only expense involved in the private
telegraph Is that OF putting UP the wire, the price OF
instruments and the trnng cost OF keeping the line
in repair. The parties engaged IN the business OF
erecting private lines nave already planted poles in
many parts OF the city, 50 tnat the trouble and ex
pense of stretching additional wires Is very much
lessened. Among the private telegraph2 III use In
New York are the following
Green to pier 70 North river National Steamship
Company, from No. 90 broadway to pier Al; Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, from No 81 Wall street 70
pier AZ; Old Dominion Steamship Company, from
corner OF Dey and Greenwich streets to pier 81;
Liverpool, New York and Philadelpha Steamship
Company, from No. ID Broadway 10 pier Az Meropo-
litan Steamship Company, from foot OF Wal street
to pier ID: Williams Il Guion, from No. So Wall
street to pier 49, tine HERALD lines from the Office to
Mr.. Benefits residence at Washington Heights ana
TO the HERALD's snip news ONCE at the battery
Booth Edgar, from No. 81 Wall street 10 their
sugar refinery loot or King street; Ockerhausen a
Co.. from No 100 Front street TO their sugar refinery
IN Rose street, Williams, Griffith 4 Co.. from No. IS
Wall street to their refinery In West street; william
auer n Sons, from No. 90 Wall street to No.
SO Vandam street, MaLthiessen Wiechers from
No. 100 Wall street TO foot Of Washington
street. Jersey City ths line is seventeen miles long,
crossing the Hudson at Tbirty-ninth street to Wee
hawken and running through Hobosenl; uayemeyer
q Elder from No. es wal street 80 South Seventh
street. Williamsburg ifteen mites long; Arcnitec-
tural Iron Works irom No. IL Duane street 10 the
corner OF Fourteenth street ard avenue O; j. Il. II
W. W. Cornell, IRON No. ls3 Centre street to NO. 52@
West Twentysixth street; Lowther Bros, from
NO lZs West Eleventh street TO No. t03 Third ave-
nue.; Pennsylvania Coal company, from No Ill
Broadway TO NO. 365 West street; Manhattan GAG
llghb Company, from No. Irving place To foot Of
| East Fourteenth street and To loot OF West