Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-14
NEW HELLO BRANCHES
c. and P. Telephone Company
Establishes Exchanges.
COLUMBIA AND CLEVELAND
Progress Of City Facilities in North
west Section.
BUILDINGS FINELY EQUIPPED
Change Effected at 5 O'Clock Yes
terday Afternoon-The Vest
Pocket Edition.
BUILDINGS FINELY EQUIPPED
Hello, Columbian
Hello. Cleveland"

| Hello. Cleveland!
| The foregoing calls were made many
times over the telephone wires last even
| ing.
| They marked the opening of two model
and modern telephone exchanges by the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
| pany-one designated as Columbia, the
| other Cleveland.
| As if accomplished by the waving of a
| magic wand, at minutes past ) o'clock
| last evening 1900 subscribers were in
| twenty-six seconds transferred from the
north exchange to Columbia. The trans
| fer was a record breaker and was made
| without hitch.
| The quick transaction in electricity was
| witnessed by members Of the Board of
| Trade, the Chamber of Commerce., repre-
| sentatives of the several Washington
newspapers. the president and secretary OF
| the Columbia Heights Citizens Associa-
ton, officials of the Chesapeake and Poto-
mac Telephone Company and telephone
| men from New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore.
A special system, never before employed.
was used, and at given signal more
than 200 signal lights. from as many lines
| of former north subscribers, flashed up
on the erstwhle dead switchboard. Mr..
| D. s. Porter. division manager, was in
general charge of the reception of the Wis
| itors.
Progress Of City.
| With picturesque pace Washington is
steadily growing into the pretty suburban
places out Columbia Heights and Cleve-
land Park way and beyond toward the
Maryland hills.
| Tangible proof of this may be found in
| two notable improvements just completed
by the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Company in the installation of two
new exchanges or "centrals." to be known
as 'Coumbia'' and "Cleveland." To in
stall these exchanges two handsome and
| costly structures have been erected and
| are now In service.
| The first and most important of the new
| central offices, Columbia" is located at
1920 Columbia road. and is intended to
relieve the pressure of business upon the
north exchange at 18th and r streets
North heretofore embraced all the ter
ritory north of l. street and New York
avenue and east of Dist street and Rock
| creek
What columbia" Includes.
| The new Columbia exchange takes from
| north" all the territory north of an ir-
regular line drawn from the filtration
plant to the south end of the new Con-
necticut Avenue bridge and east of Rock
Creek Park to the southern limits of
+, Brightwood
| The new Cleveland exchange takes in
| all the suburbs formerly connected with
the Chevy Chase exchange. and in addi-
| ton all the subscribers who live in Cleve-
land Park, Cathedral Highlands, etc
| AS a result of the two creations tele-
phone facilities in the District will be
greatly increased.
The new building for the Columbia ex-
change is a marked improvement to North
| Washington. 1t is of d most substantial
| character and adds to the beauty of the
surrounding neighborhood. 1t is of the
colonial style of architecture and fireproof
throughout 1t is three stories, and built
of the quaint colonial brick at cost of
$50 600. Its trimmings are Bowling Green
| limestone and terra Gotta. producing a
decidedly pretty effect. Tbs structure is
- feet front by 100 feet in depth. With
its furnishings. switchboards and equip
ment the total cost is said to be several
times $4,000. Tie company announces
that il has spared no expense in fitting
out the edifice from basement to garnet
with the most modern furnishings and
Operating material and machinery. Up-to-
date telephony Is represented throughout
| and the welfare of the many employees
has been looked after with careful at
tention to detail
In the basement of the new structure
Is the sw!tc hboard controlling the electric
light and power used in the building.
There is also gas engine and generator
| Tor furnishing d reserve supply of the
| juice. as the electric current is desig-
mated in official parlance. should there be
any trouble with the street supply.
Heating and Other Apparatus.
On the first floor is the terminal room
containing the main distributing frame
with its myriad mystic machinery, sug-
costing the mysteries of the occult. These
include arrester bars. carbon lightning ar
rosters and heat coils to protect the lines
against any accidental contact with an
electric light circuit. The underground
cables are arranged geographically on one
side of an iron frame. with the switch
board numbers on the other side. BY
means of Jumper wire-each cOnnec-