New-York tribune., 1906-06-16
TELEGRAPH MEN REPLY
CALL CHARGES W1CKED.
Managers Say Al Possible Was
Done at San Francisco.


without sending them during the disaster. and
also with mailing messages and sending by mes
sehser poy, was replied to at great length yes
teroay by Colonel Robert c. Clowry. president of
lhe Western Union Telegraph Company, and by
"llilam H. Baker, general manager of the Pos
tai Telegraph Company. Each of these men
was emphatic in denying the accusations, and
told at length the great work that the telegraph
companies did at San Francisco and the almost
lnsurmountable difficulties they had to contend
with Colonel Clowry and Mr.. Baker were in
conference, primarily over the grand jury's re-
port for most OF the afternoon at Colonel
Clowrys offices. When asked for the position
of the two companies. the men were eager to
make reply.
The report is not only unfair, but absurd"
said Colonel Clowry. Why we did all we pos
sibly could, and instead of making money lost
large amount, although we will never he able to
tell how much. We charged with making
million dollars by sending messages at the time
OF the disaster. 1t should be that we lost that
much. We took every message that was sent
win the distinct understanding that it was SUBJ
Ject to indefinite delay"
Mr. Baker interrupted and said:
l must say that they (the Western JJnion) did
all any one could possibly do, although" laugh
lngly, "of course. I believe they should be
spanked little"
@AlIu pelleVe vice versa interrupted Colonel
Clowry.
MI. Baker pictured the conditions at San
francisco during the disaster and said that
frequently there was line of over one hundred
waiting to send messages. He said that all kinds
OF money were offered for some one IN eet
ahead of others in the line He insisted that
polh companies did not wish to send messages
out were forced to do so. people insisting
Why know Of one case" said Colonel
CloWry. where a man offered us 81 600 to send
a message"
Ihe government took our only wire" said
MI. Baker just as soon it was in working
order 1t has that right and we couldn't
refuse We had a fearful time trying to get
messenger boys and had to hire men to work
with US We were forced to apply to the Sec
retary of War and the Secretary of the Navv
Tor permission for operators Hnemen, repair
men and messengers to pass through the fire
and martial lines, and 1 must say that they did
all they could to help US"
colonel Clowry told of the extreme difficulty
OF hndtng people to whom messages had been
sent He said that there was no postoff1ce as
tlere was at Baltimore, the banks were closed
anu there was no place to post lists of those for
"Ionl messages We're waiting Finally. he said
lists were posted high as the room at Oak
land and the ferryhouse at San Francisco. and
MT Baker was asked If there were still any
messages undelivered, and replied:
There are probably thousands of them Peo-
pie nave moved away; to Oakland, Sacramento,
Los Angeles. San Jose and many other places.
and we do not know where they are as thew
nave leIt no addresses. These people cannot be
found and there IS way to deliver the mes
sages'
What about the charges that the companies
mailed messages?" both were asked
Colonel Clowry replied to this question bv
saying:
"Of course mailed messages We ALWAYS
oo IN crisis of this sort. That's nothing new
whenever there is trouble and we can't get
our messages through Telegram ph to the near
est point we can reach and then either mail or
SEND special messengers with the messages.
| Ihere Is never time on this continent that our
INES are not down somewhere. Suppose storm
| destroys our lines in Iowa. There will be a big
! accumulation of messages in Chicago with no
| possibility of forwarding them under thirty-six
| hours Then we would send a special messenger
| by train to the nearest station beyond the break
| and telegraph from there"
You must remember" added Mr. Baker "tba+
| the telegraph companies were Just getting into
shape at Frisco when a heavy seet storm In
AFLaona ALTO came up and hundreds of poles and
wires went down. The public has forgotten that
In the memory Of the calamity Even this week
! with the beautiful weather here the lines are
down In the South, owing to a heavy storm
| there, with much wreckage and havoc"
Coione! CIoWry explained just what the com
panies did at San Francisco He said that they
| forwarded all messages by wire to the nearest
| points likely to reach any one He said they
did not use the ordinary mails. but special mes.
! sengerS In some cases copies of the messages
were sent to the postofces where the companies
| thought it would be the best chance of finding
people. Much the same thing was done at Gal
weston, Baltimore. and other disasters he said.
| Our operators out there" he continued
| worked night and day until they collapsed
! When they got messages they sent them fire.
| quently by mail. to the place they thought was
most likely to reach the receiver. Wasn't thai
natural thing to do? Remember, all of these
messages We're forced on US. and we couldn't
help taking them"
Gould you common carriers refuse to SEND
| any messa ges?' they were asked.
No" Mr.. Baker replied, I'VE must accep
them when people insist, as we common car
riers But accepted every message for weeks
subject to indefinite delay. That was as plair
to the senders A, r. c. We are bound tC
| forward all such messages just as fast as W.
can
Colonel Clowry talked at length regarding tht
| services rendered by the companies.
They accuse us OF not giving any contribu
| everything we had-eVery message of relief wal
! sent free. You know, we served the newspaper
of this country for two weeks with all the news
/ we could get free of cost. There were 23,OG
points where news bulletins sent through
out the country free of cost We forwarded al
/ MESA ges dealing with the relief free absolutely
and all relief societies and private individual
! sent messages free. We teegraphd very mucl
| money but took money. that would have beer
| too great a risk They complain about this lacl
| of contribution. ] wonder how much all thi
was worth TO the people of the stricken city?
Both Colonel Clowry and Mr.. Baker empha
sized the fact that III their Offices records, wires
cables and all paraphernalia were destroyed
Colonel Clowry said that Frank Jayne, genera
superintendent of the Western Division OF TN
! Western Union. in New York at the tim
of the disaster. He was sent West in a specla
train Colonel Clowry said. and has been working
night and day since. The telegraph operators
he sid in nlanY cases not only did not COnslde