New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-22
READY FOR WORK AGAIN.
THREE HUNDRED TELEGRAPH OPERATORS
AT THEIR POSTS.
THE WESTERN UNION BUILDING A BUSY PLACE


idly yesterday The fifth floor of the damaged
building, which will he used as the operating
room. was partly occupied. Three hundred
operators were at work in these newly fitted quar-
tcrs and 90 were at No. 41j Broadway. Al No.
1G Brood-st the regular force on duty, all
the special men having been recalled The fol-
lowing bulletin sent out at | | a. m:
Working from I0j and i1j broadway 70 all points. Tho
delay +, principally to business with way stations In
Ncv.York Hcw.Jcrscy and Eastern States Forces at
the depot Offices Jersey City will be called into l95
Broadway and tn general business will bo on good time
from now on W. J. DEALY.
The speed with which the fifth floor of the
Western Union Building was equipped rs an
opcrating-room was wonderful. That floor was
occupied by Offices. The suddenness and the COM
plctcncss of its transformation remind one of the
magical springing up of Aladdns Palace. Inc
doors of communication between the various
Offices were removed. That gave more space
and also made practically one large room of the
entire floor. Then instruments were put in and
wire connections made. Twelve hundred wires
run into the building They are contained in
number of cables The cables were distinguished
before the fire by Identification tags. telling
whittier the wires went. The fire left the cables
taglrss. and to bring order ont Of the confusion
Of wires a laborous eXpcdicnt had to he used
band of worlmcn and operators went 70 the
fourth floor They cut the cables, and attaching
the wires one by one 70 sending Instruments tesuu
all Of them to find their points of communication
This n tedious process, but a sure one IL was
Interesting TO watch the group Of men as they
worked. When the operation was well under way
they were enmcshcd in a network Of wires be-
wildrrine 70 look at Bot the busy trlcgraphcrS
found little difficulty in their task. To each
wire that was found intact operator was i'm
mcdiatcy assigned. The fifth aoor was divided
into sceticns north. south east and west: and
special section was provided for the Ncw-Enaland
Associated Press. Soon there were wires enough
for large staff Of tclcgraphcrs and the Western
Union Building was once more in communication
with The country.
Instead Of the large switchboard destroyed by
tie fire a dozen smaller ones will bc used, and
ono Of these was I'm working order early ycstcr-
dav At both the Western Union Building and
80. 4l5 Broadway quodrupl"N wir's, known
amon1 tclrgaiLcr as "quods were in use and
a Whratstouc automatic Instrument was working
M so. u5. Mr. Somrryllc. # the Western
Union Press Bureau. said that connections had
been established with all the exchanges i'l
iu1uirics made downtown il was learned that the
stock Exchange had got along fairly well. but
that most Of the broker, private wires 10 uptown
Offices were still cut of. Owing - ;hc extreme
dulness that prevails, however, uptown Offices
have been doing l'tlc business for long time;
so the want Of tclceraphic communication was not
lclt as seriously MS IT would have been in
buster season.
TIE Produce and tho other commercial eX-
changes were more embarrassed thou the Stock
ENchau-c bv lack Of t"lcgraphic facilities. ard
bu,il.,, WAS retarded. one broker on the Produce
Exchange said hc had refused 10 receive several
mcs>o 20, because thcy came 50 late The Com
mcr-ial NcSs Department" a branch Of th" ser
yic, that Was developed By the Associated Press
and aficrward bought by the Western Union
TELEGRAPH Company was running rs usual yes
terd,y for the first time since the fire. The As
,ociatcd Press has been getting thc market quo
illiors rrht along and sending them to tie news
popcls. bat they did not reach tie exchanges over
the ticker
Jaw Goull's Office on the third floor Of the
Western Union Budus was open yesterday ana
Mr. Gould was downtown dutipg business hours.
He visited tie dpmaqcl part of tie building. cN-
amincd il carcfully. and gave 10 tie newspaper
reporters the conclusions that b" reached from
his inspection. The principal point thot lie in
sisted ON is that thc Western Union Builling Is
irr-proof or as nearly hrc-proof as building can
be- made. and that the fire demonstrated ths.
What Nr Could said was substantially rs follows
believe the binding. when il was erected, was
understood 90 he rs nearly lirc-pr0oi aS II was
po,.iIlc 10 make il. The floors, walls ana stair
way, are aG indcStrur'ihlc, and there WAS n"
more material for fire here than you VIII ma
iu any hr-r oflicc-builGm- OF course rie Wa' |
,.c,...ti a vast amount of fuel on hand i'm the |
furniture needed to accommodate" SO many persons
H. must he said however. in view Of the probable
oriein Of the G5c. that had it broken ont at any
other time if would almost certainly nave "cc' |
rNtinruslcd at once. We have 10 suspicion 'hl' |
il or-iuatcd from any crimlnaliy or c'lIP'p' |
caro,csspces The fine doubtless arose from the
cont,c, of several wires. which were raised to -
white heat hy the combine currents, thus lshll"S
,ar covering Of the wires and the woodwork near
by The rcn usually on hand at the point where
the fire began Friday morning were not there a.
thai time To chcc the spread of the names Wu'h
were not discovered uut'i they had n''"r S%on' sony
I'r,I,y.,v " men the fire was at length noticed |
tac force of men on the spot was unequal u ac-
comr,h what they at first attempted hlueS'
10 cAtinquish the IRE without giving an alarm
Thus, instead Of saying that Al any o.net
bour ne fire would have probably caused great
loss of life il j., doubtless proper TO sty that az
any other hour the Western Union BUILDING WON"
not have been much damaged. ,,, Att
As to the means Of ceress, we p'IiPN'" Gi Gliu
they were sufficient for any demand th9t was IkcS
to be made upon them IL Is poSs!9;n' 49,
that loss of life mght nave rESafa y nr",h
rscapcd that and now nothing Will be oinlt'eu'
in the now arrangements which are to he maze
here tina; can possibly add 10 the so,eN oI oIlnLr Wy
nildirg and Tie persons who are daily at work
in it," ..,.o o.,,oo+ or
several wires can scarcely now he d0ubicd. WI.
Iari.sry. popularity known ms Professor
Larissey," thc old cnploye Of the Western
Union Company. who has been in us serylc, Tor
over thirty wears was in charge of the battery
room ON Friday morning, and he was the first
to discover the fire He saw little JET Of blue
flame playing on the ceiling, and he immediately
threw some water on il. but II IS held That ne
made a mistake In doing 50. The theory of the
"rigin of the fire is that quad" wire cross
ING the battery wires caused the linne ana thit
Mir Larissrv had got an axe and cut the wires an
world have been well. That. nj least. Is the
theory. -. t.
city last night To-day rooms Il, 4s and 49 on
the fourth floor Of the Western Union Building
IN for {te occunaucV. The executive |