The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30

has gone through Ill half the time IL
formerly took
The operators at the navy yard GEN.
trail are enlisted men chosen from the
marine corps. Two of them attend the
switchboards during the day and an
other is on call ali night. They 90
this work well, notwithstanding they
Rave not the advantage of training N
one of the Bell schools for operators.
Number coming from them lacks
that sweet and engaging quality
which has made the regular operator
noted throughout the land, but It Is
efficient withal. 1t has all tie brevity,
fer one thing, of the response of other
eentrals-the time-saving, business
like brevity that appeals to every criti-
cal telephone user. Number is
naval-like in it's shortness. and express
siyeness The naval officer, when on
DUTY, at least, wastes no words Nor
does central. On this common ground
these two extremes. the bluff man of
war and the sweeJ-voiced girl at the
telephone exchange, meet.
Conducive to Speed.
The New England company finished
the improvements at the navy yard
short time ago, and since then the men
in charge of the work of preparing the
ships for sea have been able TO make
better Roadway than ever. owing. in
part, to the time saved by having at
hand so many telephones with outside
connections through the new switch
board. 1t is shorter work, and on the
whole much more satisfactory, to tell
phone than to telegraph, and as FOR let
ter writing. that is reserved for formal
communications. When an officer wants
thing done in a hurry nowadays,
whether on lard or on sea, he teie-
phones.
This is one of the things impressed
upon the visitor when he goes aboard
one of the new battleships ir the yard,
for a point of interest not to be missed
under any circumstances Is the ships
telephone exchange, a medium of COM
munication that serves not only ordi-
nary uses, but the exigencies of mimic
warfare. and would serve as well in ac-
tual battle.
The telephone exchange on the bat
tieship Rhode Island, one of the first
class vessels put in commission within
the past year, is situated ike otter
vital spots well inside the most thickly
| armored Fart of the craft below the
water line, on what is called the upper
| platform deck, and directly under the
! forward turret The exchange occu-
| pies quarters some six feet long and
| three feet wide At one end, fitting
nicely into the width Of the room, is a
switchboard made by the Western
/ Electric company, the manufacturing
| branch of the Bell system.
The operator usually fourd at the
central office on the warship is a young
| bluejacket, but when the ship Is ''in
action" performing manoeuvers in
| company with other ships, thesimport-
aIce of the traffic passing through the
/ exchange requires the steady hand and
head OF a more experienced man, and
the blueiacket's place is generally taken
by ali electrician.
Useful in Mimic War.
When the ship is playing at war on
the high seas. the exchange is a verit-
able nerve cented. Messages-every
one of them playing an important part
in the marine drama being enacted
dabout-come and go in q steady
stream. Each division in the ship re-
ports through central when il is ready
for action. At the other end Of the
little room, opposite the switchboard,
stands yoeman ready to shout mes
sages through a megaphonic speaking
I tube to the coming tower or to the
bridge when the din is at its height and
orders need to be repeated or confirmed.
Movements have to be made in a jiffy
and the telephone line carries mes
sage with lightning-like speed.
In the officers apartments are Bell
telephones closely resembling the IA
miliar wall set. In exposed places and
wherever economy of space is neces-
sary, the telephone is a combination
piece, which fits into a watertight box.
The lines that stretch all over the ship
are encased In watertight pipes, the
better to insure their steady working
order. -ti-
Sometimes, in addition to the pay
stations, telephone connections with
shore are made by running trunk lines
from the yard exchange to the switch
board on the ship. The switchboard
on the Rhode Island has accommoda-
lions for three such trunk lines.
COVERED WITH SNOW.