The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-03-21
Miles of Telephone Tunnel
A NEW SYSTEM OF TELEPHONES BEING INAUGU-
RATED IN ,CHICAGO-MAIN LINES OF WIRE ARE
IN TUNNELS UNDER THE STREETS-Ioooo IN
STRUMENTS TO BE INSTALLED IN 3 MONTHS.

CHICAGO March 11-Withn three months the Illinois Tee-
phone and Telegraph Company will have in operation in the
down town district 10000 Of its secret service phones.
AS result the passage of the ordinance by the city council
granting the company the connect its cables the
duts with the office buildings by of underground
passages orders went out yesterday from headquarters to begin
work Immediately and large force of nemen and electrical
workers will be put work in a very few days.
The company has 10 miles of tunnels under the of Chi
which made for the sole purpose of running its lines
cables These by feet in dimensions and
placed that subway system of street transportation
adopted there will be above this tunnel and below the
surface for subway like those of London New York The
just passed permits company to connection
between its wires and cables its tunnels and the buildings along
the streets unneled,
All of the equipment necessary to install the complete system in
the downtown district already hand Thousands of ele
phones stored in the factory OF theAuomatc Electric Com
pany Van Buren, and Morgan and large coils of cable
and material for wiring the buildings awaiting immediate
According Albert c. Wheeler the president of the company
the work has been held back for months awaiting the action Of
the city council and that has passed the necessary ord-
nance there nothing whatever to interfere with its progress
At first the automatic telephones be installed only in the
area bounded by Michigan avenue the river and Twelfth street
but gradually the the project will be extended include
the entire city The plant being started basis of
telephones but this number expected will ultimately be doub
led AS as the entire downtown section is wired the
pany will extend its noward then probably branch out
in a westerly direction, and finally build south
The charge then will be cents for each CALL but nothing for in
coming In places of this charge $
year and in residences $54 There will be minimum charge
whatever
The entire service be automatic The subscriber insanta
neouy with the person he wishes call and the ppar
atus constructed that mpossbiy for another person
to cut in and in any way interfere with the line in
Mayor Harrison has the right the order allowing under
ground connections from the tunnels of the Illinois Telephone
Company buildings in the business district but he like
ly to exercise it.
III do anything wrong with the ORDER said the mayor
"The company here the first instance put in telephones
cheaper than the Chicago Telephone Company and under the
franchise granted the latter there nothing else do but al
low the putting in of connections If issue any permits shall
make ironCad conditions that the subways plans will be
tererd with and that the city shall be protected particu
lar. have the plans and know that they will interfere
with subway of street railway purposes The franchise of the IL
telephone Company
the downtown district opposed to this The city
allow underground method of carrying telephone wires there
be overhead wires. 1t that the Chicago
Telephone Company fears rival in the field and that
trying to block the game this account"