The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-28
THE new SYSTEM
Perfect Telephone Service in
Waikiki.
CABLE AND SWITCHBOARD
Simplicity and Efficiency--What is
in Store for the City-ac-
ting Manager.

The new branch telephone station at
Waikiki has been inspected by officers
of the company, with John Cassidy
superintendent of the Mutual system, as
guide. The outlying central is in a
neat little cottage on the road near Jne
park. The force consists of one bog
and one young lady, the latter Ha-
Waiian. In the operating room is a
single switchboard of the new pattern
adopted by the company The wires are
carried into the room from the floor.
This place is the center of the service
for the whole of Waikiki district and
for communication between Waikiki
and town subscribers. The arrange
ment for connections is simply beauti-
| full in its simplicity and efficiency.
| Then as the ten trunk wires are in a
cable there Is absolute freedom from
| induction. A whisper into the trans
mitter does the business we'll enough
| and so perfect for their duties are the
| new instruments that at the receiving g
| end a message can be heard in any part
of large room.
| With this new switchboard, with
which the city exchange is to be
equipped, the user opens the circuit
when he takes the earphone from the
| instrument. This action is shown by
a drop in the Office indicating the num-
her that desires a connection. The
| operator inquiries: Number, please
| The subscriber then in0lcates with
whom he wishes to talk over the line
and the connection Is made in an in
slant. There is a tell-tale, which at
| Waikiki is a little white oblong space
but which in the big exchange will be
a light. This shows when the caller
returns the earphone to the instrument
and obviates the necessity of saying
I"dlSconnect" or ''off" 1t should be seen
at once that the system is infinitely
F., better for both operator and subscriber
| than the present equipment. It per-
mits indefinite extension of switch
| board, by the addition of the small sec
tions, which will be kept in reserve by
| the company. The instruments must
be treated well. Shouting into the
| transmitters will injure them. Child
rem must not play about the telephones.
| One great feature of the new system
| is that when the connection is made,
| Central can NO longer be talked at.
| The number called must reply. Cen
| trail is not then in the circuit. The
bell at the ''other end may be sounded
| by pulling down the hook of the ear
phone.
Professor Alexander Graham Bell,
Electrical Expert Fred ]. Cross of this
city and many other gentlemen COM
petent TO pass opinions have spoken in
the very highest terms of the new tele
phone system for the city. Mr. Cas-
lSidy goes to the States in a short time
now to return with the plant for the
main Office. He may then place some
of the wires in the business part OF
town underground. At any rate there
will be no more induction" to bother.
Where there are not the leaden cables
with the copper wires inside there will
be the metallic circuit instead of the
Ipresent ground circuit. A couple OF
thousand feet of the cable which Mr..
lCassidy has placed in commission, had
at one time been all but sold by the
company for it's value as lead and cop
per. A marked Improvement in the
line in Waikiki is the placing of the
poles where the tram line is so close
to one side of the road, within the en-
Iclosures. The property holders along
the route gave their consent for this.
Miles upon miles of wire have been
lstored away since the cable was strung.
The cable, OF course, is not interfered
with by trees and it has been placed on
new poles in such a manner that its
life is indefinite.
During the two months that IL.
Cassidy will be absent from the cOUn-
try, the acting superintendent of the
Isystem will be Chas. S. Crane. He is
considered one of the best telephone
men in the country and is familiar
with the system and its operation. Mr..
Crane spent a number of years in OPP
Grating and in construction work.