Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-22
TELEPHONE STATION
PRACTICAL RENEWAL OF PoTO-
MAC COMPANY SYSTEM.
Extension Of Underground Area and
Removal of Street and
Alley Poles.

The new station which is to be erected
by the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company on street between 9th and fth
streets is part of the work now In prog
ress which will result in practically re-
newal of the entire system.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company constructed last season nearly
eleven miles of additional conduits, nearly all
in the northwestern section of the city.
Long conduit lines running north were con-
structed on 12tn, 18th, 10th, 18th and 21st
streets and on Connecticut avenue, and cross
town conduits were constructed on B, X, II
and other streets. This was for the purpose OF
extending the present underground system
so that certain street and alley pole lines
which now carry the wires necessary 1or
supplying telephone facilities in those sec
tons may be removed, as provided IN the
act of Congress approved June 20, lSoz
Plans for Coming Season.
Plans have been completed for the con-
struction during the coming season OF
about ten and a half miles of conduit,
largely in Georgetown and on Capitol Hill
Some of the companys pole lines have
already been taken down, and when the
new underground construction is completed
and the cables drawn in, among others the
pole lines on l. street from 18th street to
Massachusetts avenue, on MASSACHUSETTS,
avenue from 9Th to 10Th street, on 9th
street from Massachusetts avenue to Florlda
avenue on street from 18th to 10th street,
on Goth street from o to r street, on Is
street from 9th to 10th street and on 9Th
street from d to G street, will also be re-
moved and the wires and unsightly poles
upon the streets in the principal and thlckly
settled parts of the city will be almost COM
pletely removed. Eventually they Will all
be removed from the streets in those sec
tionS.
trba local telepbone system has in recent
years grown to such a remarkable extent,
it is stated, that the company has almost
outgrown it's present switchboard facilities.
Several years ago it was obliged to estab-
lish a branch exchange in Georgetown to
serve subscribers in that vicinity, and an
other on B street opposite the Senate wing
of the Capitol. A few months ago 1T con-
tracted for a new branch exchange at the
corner of 14th and r streets northwest, to
serve subscribers in the northwestern resi-
Dental section. The building, which is
very handsome one of granite, limestone
and cream brick will soon be completed,
and it is expected that the new exchange
will be in operation before the first of the
year
New Main Exchange.
A new main exchange building, six stories
in height and of the same material, is also
in process of erection on 18th street between
{; and II streets. When it Is completed the
company will move from it's present quar-
ters in the Small building, at the corner of
18th and G streets, to the new main ex-
change. The switchboards with which these
new exchanges will be equipped are to be of
the very latest and most approved design
of the relay common battery type, and can
be so operated, as is now the with the
Georgetown and Capitol Hill exchanges,
that telephones upon party lines be
rung individually instead of by signals con-
sisting of number of rings is now done
in the case of telephones connected with the
present main switchboard.
In other words. only the bell of the tele-
phone called will ring instead of the bells of
all the telephones upon the party line as at
present. This system will also do away
with the batteries at the respective tele-
phones, as the whole system will be operat-
ed from common battery at the central
office. 1t is expected that when this new
system is In operation the service will be
much improved, for many of the mechanical
difficulties which now exist will be removed
and 1t will be much easier for the operators
to perform their duties at the new switch
boards.