Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-06-12
"Turn Down for Richmond"
A STONY OF TELEGRAPH.


It IL safe to say that no message exeI
sent by telegraph was Of ssch national In
terest - the one In which Mr.. william T.
Kettles, then am operator In toe service ol
the Government at the War Department iu
Washington, received from Rieh@oud on
the morning Of the Sd Of April. 1895. Mr..
Kettles, then = mere boy Of nfteen. but al
expert telegraph operator. was working
the Fortress Monroe and City Point wire
at Washington. Shortly after 0 80 the
Washington and CherrystOue operators
were engaged on Q long message. when
suddenly both men were taken sback by
what seemed to be . most foolish demand
from Fortress Monroe: Turn down for
Richaoad. Qnick!" Had fash Of light
mag struck through the walls at that mo-
meot the ssock could not have been great
ef than 4 vas On the pAt OF every man In
that room.
There was great aiaeriay ia tnsuAsg down
the adjustment. TAess we're trembuag
nngers while IL was being done. and there
Was . gathering around Of many operators
with curiosity. suspense and impatisnce
combined to see what It meant. Sure
enough! signals for the operator In Wash
iugton were bounding along the line. No
signal was ever answered more promptly.
ueu CAuc Tue Questiou
DO you get me WELL"
al do? go ahead"
"All right. Here Is the first message Tor
four years:
RICHMOND, Va. April 8, 1885.
"Hon. Z. NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War
"we enter Richmond at O'Clock this
morning. G. wKIrzEL.
General Commanding"
Mr.. Kettles comedies that he copied the
message. but he never could tell how. He
remembers starting up from his chair and
upsettisE ink stand and instrument. OF kick
Ing over tin that sat At the fireplace. In
order to make . noise: OF rus hing for Gen.
Eckert's room. where sat PreAldeot Lin
coin aud Mr.. Tinker; the Presideat easght
sight OF the words. and with one mouon
aud two strides, message and President
were out Of sight on the way to Secretary
stsnkoIs room. Mr.. Tinker ind every
body e,as we're dumbfounded Kettles
quietly retsrEsd TO his instrument. valking
like one 10 . dtesE; proceeded meets MIC
ally 20 turn the inkaasd right side up. aEd
TO straighten up his overturned machiae.
Then he sat down In his chair and stared
straight before him In blank amaxement.
Around him were other operators, every
man alike nustered and unable To get their
minds back to their work or TO utter con-
nccted words.
In less than one-quarter OF the time II
takes to write this, the operating room was
nlled with officers and sub -otlcers; the
President aud Secretary Stanton came in !;
they shook hands with them, with ons
another. and with the President aud Secre
tary again. Then they all crowded around
the Fortress Monroe instrument, hungry
for more news. Kettles sat At his instru-
ment willie questions were showered iu on
him from every mouth. He was asked
more questions In those ten minutes than
b. will be likely TO be ever asked again In
TIA; space OF tune. At last the information
calse that Richmond had disconnected L.
self for the present. All retired to Gen.
Eoaer-s room exeeN Sir. Tinker and Ket,
ties, who stood by the window endesvor-
ing Ia hear themsclres think. Neither had
drawn perceDtible breath for ten minutes.
on.slde we're the broad grounds Of the
department: buildings. From the of,-r All n <
room window IA. pro~pect MAS clear; no,
''"o" ''' To ss.u sudJenly
= single person was L. ~e oa'ae.e
distance. Un Ii came a, the rat
Near the building 1t stopped. An.
on and started with slow. steady pa,
they could scarcely contain themselves at
his nnconcern. He was meditstlny-as
though there was nothing TO throw OF his
hat for and cheer until he was hoarse.
Keeping on he lifted his head and looked
at the window. Tinker was there and
knew him.
Any newsF'' he casually inquired.
Tinker leaned far out OF the window.
"Richmond's fallen y he said.
No tongue can describe the features of
I'm "A Afa hA l.
lie turned red and white BY turns, till sud
denly realizing the meaning OF the words.
he waved his arms. then turned and ran.
Down the stree, he ran. spreading the
news TO every one he met Soon there was
great crowd. The excitement rose. The
people seemed almost wild. The war de-
partment was soon besieged. Ootside was
multitude. Inside were excited officers,
clerks. operators and an excited President.
The outsiders looked in at the insiders, and
the insiders looked at the outsiders.
Questions came hot and fast from the
multitude, and answers where shouted back
from every man who could get bis head to
one Of the windows. The crowd got the
news fairly In its mind, and then seemed
to want three cheers. The three became
four. They then wanted speeches. They
got them. Half dozen were under way
In less than that number Of minutes Some
were good ones. Andrew johnson was
there. lie was saying: God bless the
old hag. III was President OF the United
States
Atthis point something exciting occur
red. Secretary Stanton entered the oper-
ating room leaning on Gen. Eckert's sria.
Gen. Eckert pointed out to him the boy
who had received the messages. The next
moment Kettles found himself seized by
the Secretary and held at arms length out
OF the window above the crowd The Sec
retary called to the crowd that this was
the young man who had received the dis
patch OF the fall Of Richmond. The crowd
q speech from him. Kettles gave
them speech in few words, appropriate
aud pointed. for he was in the humor
Then followed other scenes. Fire en-
gines were brought out-snything to make
Q noise. In the evening the city was ablaze
with illuCIirations. Kettles, who Is now
IN operator 10 Boston, says he can never
forget how Father Abraham started tor
Secretary StantOn's door after receiving
the dispateh-hOr. skip and jump, shouting,
''clear the track k!"-(Philadelphia Times.