Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-31
TELEPHONE co.'s BUILDING.

Plans Completed for New Home for the
Delaware and Auantic Telegraph and
Telephone Co. s
+. L. Rice. Jr., architect, has pre-
pared plans for the new building Of the
Delaware 81 Atlantic Telegraph and
Telephone Co. which will be erected
on the site of the Maris Building at
the northwest corner OF Sixth and
Shipley streets. The directors of the
company will hold a meeting in few
days for the purpose of making
thorough examination of the plans and
passing upon them. After they have
been accepted bids for the demolition
of the Maris Building and erection Of
the new structure will BIO solicited.
Great care has been taken with the
drawings which were made under the
supervision of a representative of the
company.
The building will be three. and-a-half
stories in height and will cover an area
of 23x90 feet. The ceilings will be
| high and all the rooms we'll lighted by
large windows. Colored glazad brick
will pc used and the trimmings will be
Of Brandywine granite and copper.
The design calls for an attractive ex
terror and interior and an arrangement
of rooms which will meet the needs of
the company for many years to come.
As such provision has been made, the
edifice will be substantially built and
| viii! be costly and commodious The
company will occupy the entire build
| ing. The property was purchased by
the company about year ago.
In the front or Shipley street part of
the ground floor will be located the
pay-station department, in which there
will he five or six long distance booths
and reception room for people using
the long distance service. The instru
ment room, and inspectors quarters
will occupy the remainder Of tine 6rst
floor.
The second floor will be devoted to
the Offices Of Manager Mehaffey aud the
clerical force.
The operating department will oc.
ccpy the entire third floor. which will
give much better facilities for that
branch of the service than are now
afforded at the Fourth and Market
quarters.
The underground conduits will enter
the basement, where the batteries will
also be fitted up.
The new building will call for a new
mechanical and electrical outfit, a
great deal of which will differ materi-
ally from what is now in use at the
local office OF the company, The new
material will embody all Of the latest
improvements. One of the principal
features will be a multiple switch
board, with capacity for accommodate
ing 3, 900 subscribers 1t will take the
place OF the one now in use, which is
in sections, and which can only accom-
modate 300 subscribers. The now
board will be more condensed than the
old one and will not occupy much more
space. The system will also be changed
from the automatic drop to the verbal
response, so that where now a person
goes TO the telephone and gives his or
her own number and the number de.
sired, under the new system tho person
calling will wait for q reply from the
operator, when the number desired will
he announced by the person calling.
This will be made possible. as every
, operator will be in touch with all OIL
, the phones in service. The system
to be adopted is similar TO that in
use in many other Cities where il hat
been found to be advantageous, in tina
/ one subscriber does not interfere with
another in calling.
Tho present quarters of the compaD.
are taxed to their utmost capacity, ant
! a larger place ia absolutely necessary.
1t is the intention Of the company tt
let all of the contracts as soon as prac
T ticable, so thar the old building ma,
4 be RACED as soon as the present orcu
pants vacate on March 25th, 1897, an,
have the work of rebuilding com
< menced Immediately thereafter.
= 1t is not known when the compan.
: will be fully installed in its new home
e as considerable time will be require,
to install the mechanism after til
y building has been finished. 1t j
|. expected, however, that the eychaug
d will he in full operation at the ney
/. location early next fall.
As soon as spring opens the work u
e laying conduits will be commenced
n The congested sections of the city vii
q naturally he looked after first. Tn
a overhead wires on Market, Fourth
Seventh and other streets in the hear
i of the city will be put under groun
= next year, and ii is expected that be
fore the advent of 1928 between fou
: and five miles of coEduits will hay
y been laid. This work will be don
piece meal. A little more will b
4 added each year until all of the wire
h in the city have been removed from tn
: poles. 1t is the desire of the compan
u to have all of the wires in the centrs
part of the city under ground by rh
. time the new building is ready.
y Manager Mehaffey reports business {
~ he growing, and he expects large in
y y crease next year.
10 The corrpany coDtemplates radicf
change in the system of charges. ia
4 phones. 1t is quite probable that i
70 short time after the new quarters ar
!. occupied the company will introduc
=, what ia known as the measured SCI
: vice. Those subscribers who desire
a., should the contemplated arrangemer
" go into effect, may pay according I
"a the amount of telephone business don
10 by them. For instance, person ha,
il, ing but GOO calls in year will pay les
q than those who have more calls. N
a. rate Of charge has yet been decide
n upon, but representative Of the con
" pany is authority for the statemer
- that it is the intention not to charge
. higher rate for any phones, but to PEI
-, feet system whereby people doing b,
~ small amount of business can enjc
n the convenience of telephone wit
If hut small cost. All persons availin
:, themselves of the limited service RAJ
will be provided with long distant
=, phones ON a metallic circuit.