The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-19
CHANGINGTHESYSTEN
Telephone Company Putting in
New Switchboards.
TWO suesTATioNs ESTABLISHED
Task OF Fitting Ont the Many Hundred
'Phones-serviee Improving and
VIII Be Much Better.

t14ElC Cc2Sss OF IN the l. hAteI states LOT
that matter" were the words uttered yes
terday by John Lawrence. general super
fntendent Of the Pacific Telephone & Tel
egraph Company. in Superintendent, ARM
strong's office yesterday
MIR. Armstrong Is on visit of inspection
and is very much pleased with the prog
reSs being made in the work of changing
the old system to the express, which is
generally conceded 10 be the best now in
operation throughout the Coast The COM
pany has gone to great deal of expense
in making this change but kinks IL VIII
he amply repaid when the improvement In
the service is noted.
Changing the system.
Work on the change was begun some
time in May, and the immensely OF the I'M
oertaking il best understood when IL is
mentioned that over $50 miles OF wire has
been replaced. and more is to follow. Be-
sides this, two sub-stations have been in
augurated, one at the corner of Pike and
Third streets. to he known as the Pike
system. in which there will constantly ne
four operators. and one at the corner Of
Depot and Willow streets, TO he known as
the Union system, with three operators,
and the main force in the old building en-
Yesler avenue TO be known as the Main
system. in which the force has been in
creased. At this Office the boards have all
been removed and other improve
ments made. which tend to initiate
against quick service. This, though. is
only secondary, the great trouble being
the time consumed by the operators in ex-
planning TO subscribers the working of the
new system. Up TO the present ime 10 out
or the SD instruments in the city have
been changed, and the work is going on IS
fast as possible. and from now on the efii-
cheney OF the service will improve, as the
operators will have become more CONVEX
SAINT and explanations less.
In the Union system there are now over
ninety subscribers. and In the Pike over
800. These sub-stations are a great help
to subscribers and saves them considera-
BILE mileage. as for instance subscriber
living a mile from Union station, which
is a mile and a half from Main, would be
two miles and a half away from Main,
and thus would not be compelled to pay
any more than a subscriber living on the
corner OF Front and Cherry, as the rate
is based on the distance from the station
to which the line is connected
The new wire being put in is far supe-
rior to the old and gives very much better
service. BY the new system person is
enabled to converse with Tacoma. Olympia
or any other point In the district with his
own phone instead of going down to the
long distance office. The company is also
putting in $500 feet of new cable of an inn
II.
strong has large force of mechanics and
linemen at work and expects 10 have the
system in perfect running order by Sep
TENDER Is.
The Express Switchboards.
The express switchboards are divided
into two divisions, "A" and "B." The ap-
pearance and method of work on the A
board is entirely distinct from the "B"
board. In fact. 70, greatest point of CON
trast between the old style board and the
new express board is that portion of the
work of switching is done by both a.
and 'B" operators. whereas the old way is
to have each operator attend TO her own
section and numbers, and consequently
cannot help out on any other board. II
occurs at certain hours of tho day that
there are comparatively few calls TO an
swer, while at other times more calls VIII
come in on one board than it is possible
for the one operator TO handle In the
new system the "B" operator will distrib
ute the calls between the "A" operators
so that they Will all have about an even
number to answer.
A number of the leading telephone en-
gineers of America who have examined
the express system invented by Mr.. John
l. Sabin and now in use by the telephone
company in San Francisco, have express
ed the opinion that the express system is
the best in the world in every point, in re-
liability and rapidity of switching.
Advantages of New system.
The advantages of the express system
might be summed up as follows: First,
the absence of the numerous troubles
which arise through the multiplicity OF
parts in the old style switchboard. In
the old boards dust and smoke gave rise
TO large percentage OF the complaints
by the corroding or separating of the
~f.k \.
numerous. Frequently telephones which
were apparently in good condition as 10
the instruments and wires, talked badly
for this cause.
Second, the use of automatic visual sig
nails to indicate 10 the operator whether
subscribers are through talking or not.
That is To say, when the subscriber Is
through with his correspondent the act OF
hanging the telephone on the board an
tomatically works the visual signal 10 dis
connect and permitting the subscriber 10
Immediately call again for another switch.
Third-The fact that it is impossible
for the operator TO neglect or delay an
swering call. To explain. when a tele-
phone on the Express system is removed
from its hook the drop or indicator con-
nected 10 that subscribers line immedi-
ately displays the number of the subscrib-
er calling, and IL is impossible for the ope-
rator 10 restore the drop to its normal
condition until the subscriber has been an
swered. The act of answering the sub
scriber restores the drop automatically.
and IL cannot be restored by hand, as in
the old system.
Fourth-The fact that I'm case of damage
BY fire or water 10 any one section of the
switchboard, only the lines OF the sub
scribers connected to the damaged section
would be interfered with. In the old sys-
tenn the loss OF one section meant the Grip
pling of all sections. and the consequent
shutting down OF switching until repairs
were made.
Better Service Bye and Bye.
These advantage are not so clear 70 the
users OF the new telephones at present
nor does the company claim 20 be giving
the express system service, as there is
really no complete system al this stage Of
the work They do claim that they are
giving the best possible service under the
conditions and that within ten days some
Improvement over present service viii be
noticed. and that inside OF thirty days
The work or installing the new system will
10 so far advanced that their patrons wili
be more than repaid for any inconvenience
fhev have experienced In the past.
1sf.-