Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-17

with speed and in more or less seclu-
sion. while al the same time it allows
for an expansion during fifteen or
twenty years to come. Containing
many thousand dollars worth of intri
cate apparatus a prime requisite is
that the central office shall be care
fully protected against injury or de-
struction, particularly by fire. and that
it's walls and floors shall be more than
ordinarily strong to support the mod
ern switchboard and other equipment
So the new building is set on Il gener-
Gus lot of land. where it shall never
come into contact with other struc-
lures. and is designed on what is called
mill construction. 1t is of red brick
and granite. two stories high. and has
Il ground aret - feet by So feet. The
Plans were drawn by the building de-
partment of the New England Tele-
phone & Telegraph Company and the
general contract for construction was
let to the Horace Purinton Company of
this city and Watervile. The plans al
low of the addition of a third story
should it be needed in the future. but
as it stands the office is expected to
ilftl thc ii'NN'S ~
put upon it.
The first story of the new central
telephone Office which forms a sort or
basement at the back of the building,
will include the terminal room. INTO
1 which the lines from outside are all
brought and distributed to their proper
positions on the switchboard; the room
for the heating apparatus. quarters
for the inspection and maintenance
force. and rooms for the storage OF
material for repairs to the apparatus
! in the exchange building. as well as
that in subscribers premises. and TO
| the outside lines. On the floor above
will be the public offices, the mana
gers office. the public pay stations ana
the operating room. Many new fea-
; lures have been introduced in all these
various departments which are ex-
. pected to make considerable improve
ment in the service. The latest type OF
switchboard is provided. there will be
| new methods of handling business IN
several respects, and the accomfnoua-
/ tons for the employees of the company
as we'll as for the general public nave
been vastly improved.
In the switchboard is a great step IN
advance that puts Augustus telephone
J equipment on par with That Vi INC
largest city in the country. Instead Oh
the magnetic board a common battery or
relay board of the most up-to-oa'e
type is provided. This at once does
away with the necessity of turning the
crank at the side of the telephone III
strument in order to call "Centrai.
the signal being given by light when
flashes before the operator Instantly
when the subscriber lifts the receiver
from it's hook. The use of tiny cleo
tric lights i'm the switchboard in TINS
wav also makes a considerable saving
of time i'm getting connections. for the
operator can identify the line tha' 10
calling her much more easily and ac-
curately than she could when she "e
pended upon a metallic drop.
With the new switchboard, II IS iio'
necessary for the operator TO prean
into a conversation every now any
then in order to see whether a SUD
scriber is through talking. practice
demanded by the fact that telephone
usars were careless about ringing oa.
The electric lights of the relay DO ~
not only signal the operator when ~
10 wanted but indicate to her when &c
Marty called answers his telephone az =
when each party talking has hung
his receiver after finishing the con T
cation. This makes a converse VI
absolutely exclusive to the two
! .c,;bers who are conducting 1t, the'
n will still be possible to call centTa
on the line. should her assistant
4 wanted. simply by moving the rec
hool, slowly up and down few times
n The common battery board gets u