Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-30
KILLED BY 0VERW0RK.

Death of the First Telegraph Operator to
Read Messages by Sound - Terrible
Strain That Falls Upon the Chief Oper-
ators in New York City.
The terrible tension which the nerves of a
chief operator in a telegraph Office must un-
dergo is very forcibly exeuplifed in the
case of MI. Thomas G. Kennedy, one of the
chief night operators in the Western Unions
main Office in New York, says the Star. His
death, which occurred recently at his home,
No. PIG Harrison street, Brooklyn, was
caused directly by apoplexy, but was, how.
ever, superinduced by overwork. Mr.. Ken
nedy lett the big telegraph Office at No. los
Broadway at his usual hour, l o'clock, on
Thursday morning. He had not been feel
ing well for several days, and had about de-
cided TO take vacation. His condition did
not alarm his friends, and when he left the
Office he appeared to be in his usual health.
Shortly after he retired, Mrs. Kennedy was
alarmed by his heavy breathing, and found
him suffering apparently from convulsions.
She summoned medical assistance immedi-
ately, but the doctor, on his arrival, pro-
nounced it case of apoplexy, in which he
could hold out no hope. In short time
Mr.. Kennedy was dead.
The deceased was So years old, and was
one of the best known telegraph men in the
United States. He was native of Indiana,
and when a mere lad went to live with his
uncle, who was station master and telegraph
operator at Carlisle, Pa. Here young Ken
nedy rapidly acquired a knowledge of teIeg-
raphy, and soon got a position with the
Western Union, in the service of which
company he has remained ever since. He
was one of the first to learn telegraphy by
sound, all messages previous to that time
having been directly transmitted in tele-
graphic characters BY the instrument, and
then translated. The telegraph companies
were at first strongly opposed to the en-
ployment Of sound alone for receiving mes
sages, and Mr.. Kennedy at the outset of his
career refused to accept any other, so he had
some difficulty in retaining his position.
Mr.. Kennedy was employed by the COM
pany in various Offices in the West and
South, and about 20 years ago had charge of
the Office in Wheeling, W. Va. He was
transferred to New York soon after, and has
now for over IS years been one of the night
chief operators in the head Office in this
CITY.
The arduous duties of his position and the
constant strain which they imposed on his
nerves would be difficult of comprehension
by those not intimately acquainted with the
work in big telegraph establishment The
Western Union building, previous to the
fire, contained the worlds greatest switch
board, and through it connection was made
with hundreds upon hundreds of wires run
ming out of the city in all directions. An
idea of the magnitude of his work may be
obtained from the fact that the eastern di-
vision in the Western Union Office not in
frequently handles about 5000 commercial
kilograms alone, to say nothing of the guam
tity of press dispatches during the working
hours of the night operators. The night
chief operator must rush everything at a
high rate of speed, and only man with
the strongest nerves can Withstand the
strain.
The work broke down Mr.. Kennedy's nat
urally strong constitution, and although
only 50, he was bent and gray and seemed
many wears older. Since the fire his duties
became more onerous on account of the de-
struction of the great switchboard and the
fact that the makeshifts which replaced it
necessitated his almost constantly running
up and downstairs to the newly fitted up op-
Grating rooms. Although the night manager
is the responsible head of the operating de-
partment during his hours of work, the ex-
ecutive duties of the department fall largely
on the night chief operators. They are well
paid, but their position is not to be envied.
Every outsider who has watched them at
work on the Western Union switchboard has
been astonished at the rapidity with which
they make the changes.