Omaha daily bee., 1892-07-01
LIGHrNiNG WILL STRIKE.
Telegraph Companies Make Arrangcmei
to Handle the Convention Reports.

ttitSrHph tVmpaulcS hake
to Handle the Convention Reports.
Among the men who are busiest in prepar-
irg for the coming convention and to whom
the occasion means vast amount OF work
aud responsibility are the managers of the
local offices OF the telegraph companies. On
no one occasion are the resources of the
great telegraph companies so severely taxed
as when a national convention is in progress.
The proceedings of the convention are not of
interest alone to those who are par
ticipants in the debates and witnesses
OF the struggle for party supremacy between
rival factions. The whole country anxiously
watches the contest aud lmpatiently awaits
the first tidings OF the issue. In every city
the bulletin boards are beseiged bv excited
crowds and even in the crossroads towns
the male population gathers at the little
telegraph Office to hear the first news of the
proceedings.
Upon the telegraph companies devolves
the task of satisfying the curiosity that is
as broad as the nation and nothing less than
the most minute and elaborate reports will
answer the purpose While the convention
is III session the telegraph is strained to its
utmost capacity. An army of skilled and
diligent operators are hard at work night
and dav flashing the all important news to
every corner OF the world. IL tells the story
of states battling for their favorltes, of
schemes and intrigues and of victories ana
defeats. The cheers that reverDerated
through the convention hail in q moment of
exultation are re-echoed in lightning flashes
from Maine to California and hardly has the
result oil ballot been announced when the
tdings are flashed upon the bulletin boards
ih New York and San Francisco.
The general public hardly realizes the
enormous amount of work req IireG to ac
complish this result. But the telegraph com
panies are on their mettle. To fail would be
to lose their prestige and au executive ability
acquired through years OF experience, aided
by the best and most improved scientific ap-
pliances, makes success certain.
IL Is generally believed that this enormous
business must be source of great revenue,
but that is far from being the fact. For
great an increase over the usual amount of
business great preparations in the way of
additional facilities are required. These are
expensive ana in many cases are almost q
dead loss after the convention has adjourned.
1t is estimated that the telegraph companies
expended fully S25000 in additional facil-
tiles for transmitting the reports of the pro.
ceedngs of the Minneapolis convention.
The amount expended by the Omaha man
ayers III preparation for the independent
convention will be less than half that
amount. There, is no city IN
the United States except New York
and Chicago wners the regular telegraph ia
cilities are moro adequate and effectual than
in Omaha. There are 100 regular sending
wires leading out of Omaha, and by the ad-
dition of duplex and quadruplex plates these
WlEcS Tan Ue Udue more UuHn SuIlcleuJ lOE
the purpose. "
The preparations of both companies are
nearly complete. The Western Union Will
have six wires running direct to the conven-
tlon hall. These will be nsed for bulletins,
private messages, rush messages ana for late
matter In the afternoon. Tho greater part
of their matter will be sent by mounted mes
seEgers to their Office at Thirteenth and
Douglas streets and distributed from that
point. There viii be five messengers
nt1d dt1tN oil ip,nc ,lar +ha tin, ia
in session. The trip from the hall to the
Office will be made in five minutes aud the
messenger will pc allowed fifteen minutes to
get back This Wil give a four minute serv-
ice, which will be, amplg sufficient for the
purpose. 10 handle the convention business
the facilities at the central Office have been
greatly augmented. The apparatus has been
increased by six additional quadruplex plate
sets and four duplex sets. Together with
1000 extra cells of batteries, Over thirty
skilled operators from Chicago, Den
yer and other points will bs added
to the regular force, which already
consists of over 100 operators. An expert
will be brought from Chicago to write bul-
Superintendent Lloyd, who had charge of the
special newspaper matter at the Chicago and
Minneapolis conventions, will perform the
same Office here.
Superintendent Dickey of the Western
Union the amount of special matter will not
be as large as was anticipated The Buffalo,
indianapolis, Pittsburg, Baltimore, Phila-
delphia and many other eastern
papers will rely on the regular
press reports for their convention matter.
The New York, Boston, Cincinnati ana Chi
cago papers will nearly all be represented
by special correspondents during the session.
I'VE Will have sixty wires directly available
for the convention" said Manager Umsted
OF the Western Union, land will be able to
handle the convention with room to spare.
One of the worst things we have to contend
with is the possibility of our wires being
torn down by storms. A big storm during
the convention would be n terrible blow to
the telegraph companies. Every pre-
caution will be taken to guard
against any possible break in our
communications. Every division will have q
large extra force of linemen on duty night
and day to repair any breaks that may
occur. In addition to this all the section
men on the railroads have special iustruc-
tions to watch the wires on their sections
The Postal company will send their matter
direct from the Coliseum. They have five
wires running to the building direct from
Chicago which are all equipped with duplex
and quadrupleX plates. Ten of their
fastest senders arrived from Chi
cago last night and will be
on duty at the convention hall. They will
also have a special reporter for bulletins,
which will be wired without charge TO all
their customers. Manager Dimmick says
that his company is amply equipped to handle
their business during the convention.