The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26
NEW SWlTcHBoARD'S WORK.
PROCESS BY WHICH SUBSCRIBERS
GET CONNECTIONS.

observation-disclosures Has the Lat
est Switchboard out.
The new telephone system now in opera
ton has been found to afford the salts
faction the Southern Bell Telephone Com
pany's officials have claimed it would give
as soon as everything had been gotten
into smooth working order.
There was some complaint heard at
first about imperfect service, the trouble
being usually an inability to get up the
number desired as speedily as might have
been wished. There were great many
who could be heard to say that they were
kept standing often in front of their in
struments waiting for the Number,
please" Of the operator until patience
would cease to bear the strain.
This was just what the assistant super
intendent, Mr.. Gentry, of the company,
said would be the case for the first few
days of the operation of the new system,
and the event has shown that he was
right. He also said that the people would
then awaken to a realization of the fact
that they now have much better tele-
phone exchange than they have ever had,
There are great many intricacies in
the new system, and time is required in
order for the operators to gain a perfect
mastery of it. Manager Polk says that
this knowledge is rapidly being acquired,
and that it will not be a great while be-
fore the operators will be able to furnish
a connection in an average of three or
four seconds. 1t is estimated, even now,
that the average is not greater than seven
seconds.
The new switchboard, which is known
as the Supervisory" is the most inter-
esting and, at the same time, costly and
intricate of all the apparatus that is to be
seen in the new exchange. BY it the op-
orators are enabled to observe just what
is taking place at all times over the entire
line. A connection with it also form
very useful piece of mechanism that is
intended for the chief operator. BY its
aid a close watch can be kept of the en-
tire situation Of affairs, and the chief can
correct any errors or oversight that may
exist on the board.
Just what happens when connection Is
made at the exchange building is inter-
esting to those who like to note the adj
vances that are being made in the art of
telephony. When the subscriber takes
down his receiver che hook is released and
closes the circuit which throws an indica-
tor into play at the central office. There
is one of these indicators for each sub
scriber and as all the indcator are num-
bered, there is no necessity for the sub
scriber to give his own number. Besides
the indicator on the line there is imme-
diately under it what is known in the par
Ia,, rNfe init 80 .{,rr
springjack."
There are seven positions for the oper-
ators at the board, each of whom handles
100 lines. Above the indicators and the
answering jacks is what is known as the
multiple, which consists of rows of
'sprngjacks," very compactly arranged.
In the multiple, which extends across the
seven positions, every subscribers line
appears three times, SO that the operator
answering subscriber No. 1 has immedi
ately in front of her all the lines from
l TO $40. This is true of every position,
so that no "trunking' is necessary. In
each operators position is small mean
descent light, which is switched on to the
indicator circuits at night. When a sub
scriber takes the receiver off the hook the
night operators attention is Immediately
attracted by the glare of the light.
On shelf Immediately in front
of each of the operators are
minatng in brass plugs. Each cord has
three conductors in it made of twisted
tinsel strands, and each strand is con-
nected with section of the plug, insu-
lated from all the other sections. These
plugs and cords are simply used to con-
meet one Subscribers line with that of
another. The cords are made very flex-
ible, so that they may be easily handled.
Each pair of the cords is equipped with
a listening key and when this is thrown
open the operator connects her telephone
in on the cords.
There are also in each pair of cords
keyboard signals, which show when the
subscribers have hung up their telephones
and are ready to have their lines discon-
nected. When two subscribers are con,
nected the line indicators are cut out and
the keyboard signals are in circuit. When
a subscriber desires IA second connection
a movement of the hook up and down
causes the keyboard signals, which are
little discs of aluminium, to move in the
same way with very much the appear
ance of one winking, thus attracting the
attention of the operator.
If the discs remain stationary after the
receivers are hung up the operator knows
the subscribers have finished the CONVEX
sation and, without the old necessity of
listening in" having to be Observed dis
connects the cords.
One very decided advantage of the new
system over the old is that all of the sub
scrbers' lines are metallic circuits, which
means that there are two wires running
from the exchange to each subscribers
telephone, instead of the grounded cir
cults. as in the old exchange, where each
subscriber had but one wire, the return
being made through the ground. The nois-
es or inductions, as they are called, made
by the currents of the large dynamos of
the street railway and electric light COM
mt hax no oil Dafp tpI hxyt ;,,t,
duction of the metallic circuits. The work
of changing from the ground to the metal
lie system is very nearly completed and to-
day there are very few of the subscribers
lines that are still on the one wire sys-
tenn.
CITY BREVITIES.