Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-11
RAILROAD TELEPHONE.
Illinois Central Installs Its Long
Distance Line From Dubuque
10 Chicago.
Connects With Their Own City
Wires to All OF Their Local
Offices.
Will Transact Their Railroad
Business by Phone New
Era in Telephones.

| DUBUQUE. June 11-The Illinois Cen
distance telephone in operation be-
tween Dubuque and Chicago. The line
was connected yesterday and all the
local officers are in direct communica-
ton with the company's officials in
Chicago, Freeport, Rockford and Haw-
thorn.
The system is one of the most COM
plete in the country and the sound OF
the voice can be heard as plainly in
Chicago as if one were in the next
room. Two metallic copper wires form
the circuit which runs along the COM
panys track.
The Illinois Central is one of the first
companies to install the telephone
system of communication. There are
so many advantages over the tele-
graphic system that the cost of con-
struction and maintenance, tho very
large, was not considered an obstacle.
Workmen will continue stretching
wires west and it is expected that Fort
be talking to Chicago and intermedi-
ate places.
The possibilities open to the new sys-
tenn are many and will be taken adj
vantage of by the Illinois Central just
AS soon as conditions are favorable.
is the aim of the company to install
field telephone in every passenger train
ind whenever there is wreck along
the road a wire will be thrown over the
copper line and by this means direc.
communication will be opened with the
superintendent office, from which di-
rections will be made as to how the
injured shall be cared for and the
Wreckage cleared. CabooSeS and en-
gines may also be provided with these
instruments and when information is
desired at any point the train will be
stopped and the wire used. The FEAST
bility of this innovation has been
demonstrated by officials of the war
department on several occasions.
The new system is so perfect that
any of the officials who desire to talk
to any person not connected with the
offices in Chicago may call up central
and ask that connection with the city
'SiSpiiOiie NC lie 1lllilOlS Sen-
trail maintains separate system Of
telephones among it's Chicago offices
and any one of these may be talked to
from Dubuque.
The advantages of the telephone over
the telegraph are many, but the main
one is that of directness. Officials of
the company say that with the means
of the telephone they can transact
business in half the time required by
the telegraph.
The question arises, will it be FEAST
bic for dispatchers to use the telephone
i'll taking care of the movement of
trains?" Railroad officials say that this
is difficult question to answer. While
they admit that it is feasible to direca
trains by the telephone, still they de-
clare that in telegraphy the messages
are put in writing and are thus pre-
served for reference, and are good wit
resses in case of disagreement among
the dispatchers. But owing to the con-
gested condition of telegraph wires it
is frequently difficult to reach a man
by that means and it is here that the
telephone will claim superiority. Then
In case of wreck by talking over the
telephone one becomes acquainted with
the details and one remark suggests
another thought until finally the super |
intendent has a thorough knowledge of |
the conditions al the scene of the dis |
aster and can therefore proceed with