Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-20
PHONE HOME
That Built in Rock Island by
Union Electric Com.
pany
AT A COST OF ABOUT $4,000
Sum of $I25,OOO Expended in
the City So
Far.

The exchange of the Union Electric
Telephone q Telegraph company
which will be thrown open from to
Q this evening for the inspection of
the public is one of the most modern
that ample capital and experience
have been able to provide. As is true
of all parts of the system that the
company is installing in the three cit
les. it embodies the most approved
ideas known to the telephone world.
The local exchange is almost iden-
ticalIy the same as the one that is
receiving the finishing touches in DaV-
export and the one in Moline. Like
the others. it carries out the best
ideas of the several architects who
presented designs. The front was
planned by f. F. Borgolte, who super
intended the construction. IL. w.
Horst constructed the building here
ana the one in Moline.
The local building alone cost near
Iy $4,000. The material is native
brick with Il front finished in sand
stone and gray pressed brick to
match. the design being both sym
metrical and imposing. 1t is two
stories high with a good basement.
The walls are rough finished and
painted. the floors are of hard maple
and the woodwork is of oak. Solidity
and durability are written every
where from foundation to roof.
Arrangement of Building.
On the first floor the Office of Man
ager :. w. Fitzgerald is in the north
west corner. with the stenographer's
offices south. In the northeast cor
ner is the public telephone station,
and back of this is the office of H.
Daudistel. superintendent of CON
struction. The rack room in which
the wires are brought up from the
basement is ut the back.
On the second floor the -uilding is
given up to Il directors room and an
office for clerks. Back of these is the
retiring room for the operators. This
is very neat apartment fitted up
with large library table, chairs and
a large and comfortable couch where
the ladies can spend the time when
off duty. It Will be kept locked and
each of the operators will have key.
Connected with it are the locker and
toilet rooms. The switchboard is on
the south Of the building. The es-
tablishment is heated with steam and
Electrically lighted.
The wires are brought into the
building in the basement, coming
from the rear in lead covered cables
of 200 pairs of wires in each. They
are carried along to a point directly
divided and pass up through the
floor. The most interesting part of
the apparatus on the first floor is the
Cock lightning arrcster. which is very
complicated and which is so arranged
that any charge of over "a volts get
ting on wire will burn out a fuse.
Each pair is so exposed that the fuse
can be replaced at once
Features of Switch Board.
The switchboard, which is Just
above. is what is known as the Ster-
ling electric switch. Simplicity is its
feature. and it also possesses so many
other good qualities that it is being
generally adopted by independent
companies The one in use here has
capacity of 1000 subscribers, and it
is so arranged that one operator can
at night or when there is little bust
ness cover the entire board without
leaving her seat. The taking down of
receiver on a line lights lamp in
front of the operator and when the
connection is made this goes out. An
arrangement is included that enables
the chief operator to tell at her. desk
when any operator has call and she
can note with what promptness it is
answered. When an operator cuts in
on a line to listen to a conversation
the chief operator is informed by a
light that appears on her private
board. The penalty under the rules
for an operator to be found listening
to conversation is summary dis
charge.
The number system is very simple.
In Davenport the numbers will be
from l to 5000, in Rock Island from
5000 to 5000, and in Moline from 5000
to 10000. There will be no prefxes,
and one will simply give the number
wanted to the central office in the
city in which he is talking. After a
number is once assigned to an instru-
ment there will be no changing to
another.
Run BY Storage Battery.
Power to run the system is furnish
ed from a storage battery which in
turn is charged from two generators
run by two motors. These are in du-
plicate, so that any accident to the
one will leave the other in working
order. Both are protected from light
ming by an arrangement that cuts the
connection when a shock strikes the
lines. The current will be kept at Fl
volts. The storage batteries are