The record-union., 1897-01-23
TELEPHONE SWITCHING
Description of the nechanism at the
Central Station.

Louis Glass, the Assistant General
Manager of the Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company, gives the following
description of the means and method by
Wh1ch calls are made and answered.
Ihe switch board, on which the sub
scr1bers' lines terminate at the central
and branch offices, is a long, upright
structure, divided into sections of about
three feet wide, each section being the
end of the wires of from fifty to $50
subscribers, accordingly as the lines are
frequently used or otherwise. Each pair
Of lines terminates in a small shutter
(the office of which is to fly up and ex~
pose number), minute incandescent
lamp and an orifice into which a plug
can be inserted. Each section is also
provided with large number of plugs
attached by flexible cords to pairs of
wires running to each Section of every
other switch board in the city, whether
In the main or a branch office.
Two young ladies sit at each section,
wearing a very light telephone at one
ear, and having in front Of their faces
a suspended telephone transmitter, thus
having both hands free.
One Of the young ladies answers only
the signals Of subscribers who call the
office, with whom she talks direct, and
the other connects with and rings up
these same subscribers when they are
called for by some one else. Each young
lady attends strictly to her particular
duty and does not interfere with the
work Of her associate.
A subscriber takes his telephone from
the hook and puts it to his ear. Instant
ly the miniature lamp attached to his
line on the office switch board lights,
and the little shutter flies up disclosing
his number. The young lady at once
inserts plug into his line and says
number; upon receiving the same she
Immediately connects with the opera
tor having the subscriber called for,
telling her the number wanted, and the
latter completes the connection and
rings the subscribers bell
The act of ringing the subscribers
bell always lights a small lamp which
continues to burn until the telephone
called for is taken off the hook; it then
goes out
When a subscriber terminates a tele-
phone conversation and hangs up his
phone a red lamp lights In the office
and the young lady pulls out the plug
and the switch Is finished without the
operator hearing any of the converse
tion except when she comes on the line
to ask for the number.
An Of this is very simple, and If the
calls were evenly distributed over the
working hours Of the day the young
lady operators would be happy in their
calling and our subscribers would COM
mend our service without stint, but un-
fortunately, at times number Of sub
scribers, sometimes five, sometimes ten,
whose lines terminate in the same sec
ton will have occasion to call the office
at precisely the same instant, and then
1t Is that the young lady, unless she is
very experienced and cool-headed. be-
comes agiuated and confused, for she
knows that the impatient gentleman
whom she answers last, although only
thirty or forty seconds may elapse. is
apt to find fault with the delay. In order
to meet this difficulty we have what is
called the overflow switch board, and if
the calls in a section come in so rapidly
that it is impossible for the girl to han
die them she simply plugs those to
which she cannot attend into this over
flow through lines provided for the pur-
pose, and here they spread out among