New-York tribune., 1900-04-15
PROGRESS IN TELEPHONY.
IMPROVEMENTS BEING INTRODUCED IN
NEW YORK.

TIE most extensive telephone system, not
merely of the American continent. but of the
whole world is be found in this city On the
island Of Manhattan alone the New-York Tele |
phone Company serves no fewer than 1880 |
stations or subscribers instruments London, |
with TWO three times the area operates only
10000, Moreover in the introduction of mod |
ern improvements which increase the ef1l- |
cheney of telephone exchange the British cap
ilGl is distinctly behind the metropolis of the
New World.
There has been great development in the art
of telephony since Bell gave his wonderful in
Ncntpn to civilization. And the evolution is still
in progress The old receiving instrument the
most sensitive device known to electrical science,
is stili retained. The original transmitter gave
way nearly twenty years ago to the carbon
transmitter. To better this seems at present
impossible. 1t is astonishing, however, to note
in how many other details affecting the rapid
and satisfactory working of a telephone (nore
particularly in large cties) substantial improve
ment has been made Most of these in the
nature of things, to be seen at the place
where subscribers wires concentrate, the ex-
change. Here it is that one patron is put in
communication with another The significance
Of this function is the better realized when one
knows that the New-Yorl Telephone Company
Manhattan between Broad-st and Hghbridge,
and that three-fourhs of the calls that originate
al one are for Il subscriber served by another
vast possibilities were opened up eleven years
ago when the multiple switchboard was in
vented This enables single operator while
receiving the calls of only fifty or hundred
subscribers to connect them with any of the
other Wres-up to five thousand or even eight
thousand-comng to the same exchange with
ut trolII lirr thoro
notably in respect to the drops that indicate
a call, the multiple switchboard has been con-
sideraby bettered. But to be up to date it must
now be entirely reconstructed In fact new
one must be substituted for the old although
the change involves an enormous expense.
What Is known as the relay system" is really
a combination of improvements One of them is
that the subscriber does not need to ring any
more, either to call to signify that he has
finished a conversation. He merely takes the
receiver off the hook, and Immediately Central"
knows il. Thus his time and the operators is
saved appreciably. on the switchboard call
automatically lights tiny electric lamp beside
the jack in which subscribers wire ter
inmates. There are also other lamps that indi-
cate in turn the connection of the Operators
own instrument with the callers wire and with
that of the person called, and also show when, at
the close of the talk the called and the caller
hang up their receivers on their respective hooks
After completing the connection in the first
place. the operator disconnects her own instru-
ment, having other calls to look after She
knows when the wires previously connected are
out of use without intruding or listening Ocular
evidence of the situation is furnished by the
lights Thus the subscribers enjoy greater
privacy and the operator is saved both time and
trouble in disconnectng wires. or clearing out
as they say at an exchange
Another advantage of this system is that the
source of current for operating the wires is not
thousands of scattered batteries one at each
subscribers Office but central power plant at
the exchange, huge storage battery charged
at night by dynamo, constantly under super |
vision. Thus is lessened one of the chief causes
of trouble with lines.
The relay system was introduced first at the |
Harlem exchange two years ago then at John |
ST, and next at Riverside and Madison Square |
The substitution has since been going on in four
other exchanges. At Sprng-st il was hoped
that the new switchboard and operating room
might go into service to-day. Columbus-ave |
VIII be ready next month, Thirty -eighth-st |
IN the summer and Eighteenth-St. in the fall |
Cortlandt-st. must wait until additions to the |
atlng room. Eventually every exchange in Man |
haitian will be equipped with the new apparatus |
number of other improvements are being ef- |
fected or are under consideration. Gables contain
ing two hundred pairs of wires are being placed !