The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-15

Present Effective Condition of the Service
The New Telegraph System.
Electrical World.

Electrical World
Never in the history of the Associated Press,
it is asserted has its business been ucted on
such high plane of efficiency it at the
present time, under the management of the Hon.
William Henry Smith, that gentleman being
prompt to adopt any improvement in the methods
OF transacting the business of the vast concern
of which he is the general manager The latest
step In this direction is the leasing by the West
ern Press of a wire from the Western Union
Telegraph Company, between New York and the
principal cities throughout the West, over which
its press dispatches are sent and received by its
own operators
The wire, which covers the vast territory of
the Western Press, is divided into two circuits,
as follows: 1st from New York to Pittsburg,
wheeling Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland,
Toledo, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee, ID
from Cincinnati to indianapolis, St Louis,
Kansas City Nashville and Memphis. The total
length OF wire by the routes named is 2, 775
miles When all the conditions are favorable,
St Paul and Minneapolis are added to the New
York circuit, and New Orleans to the Southern
wire.
The speed at which business is transmitted
over these circuits is marvellous, considering
their great length Forty words per minute is
not unusual, while the average does not fall be-
low thirty. Over twenty-five thousand words
have been transmitted in one day This is at
sixteen and one half actual working hours.
Yet these figures do not represent
the limit Of the capacity of the wire.
inasmuch as during the early portion
OF the day there are frequent periods when the
wire is idle on account ofthe dullness of business.
Twenty five thousand words per day would more
nearly represent the actual capacity Of the wire,
and on occasions of an extraordinary rush even
this figure could undoubtedly be exceeded. To
ward IL o'clock A. NJ, however, business be-
gins to increase, and, from that time on till
goodnight" the wire is kept steadily at work.
New York, OF course, is the principal sending
station, and usually the volume of business after
judicious condensation that all the news can be
sent over the one wire leading from New York.
The news as received at the different cities is
legibly written, properly punctuated and accur-
ate in every respect and all ready to 60 into the
compositors' hands. The editing is practically
done before the news is telegraphed. This is
one of the principal features of the telegraph
service of the Associated Press; while another,
no less important, is the great saving of time in
getting the news into type, as compared with
the old plan of intrusting the transmission of
press dispatches to the telegraph companies.
The telegraph editors of the daily papers,
whose time is precious, and whose hair in many
instances has turned gray prematurely because
of the exasperating and discouraging difficulties
operators copy, will heartily appreciate the
benefits resulting from these greatimprovements
in the telegraph news service
The telegraph department of the Associated
Press has been steadily developing for some
years past. The Association now controls three
wires viz. One to Philadelphia Baltimore and
Washington which is quadruplexed; the second
newly-leased WIRE Over sixty operators are
employed in its telegraph service. and every one
must necessarily be Of the highest rank in the
profession.