New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-03-05
DEPENDS ON WIRELESS
NEWS OF IN4UGURATION.
TRATFLS BY ETHER.
Nerr YorE, and Washington Cut Oft
for Tine, Ercept for This Means
of Communication.

There was short interval YESTERDAY "lle sIl
sbe knowledge Of wireless telegraphy was the Only
advantage possessed by New Workers over their
forefathers, who had TO walt days Tor news ~
fravol on horseback before they could learn OF
the inauguration Of new President In WASH
ington. A snow laden blizzard travelling sixty
miles an hour was the most important guest at
the capital yesterday and in celebrating It's ar
rival tore down all the steel wires OF communl-
cation between Washington and the metropolis
But the common people had a card up thelF
composite sleeve. and, though telephone and
telegraph wires lay tangled and useless along
the railroad tracks and trains were stalled, they
triumphed and communication was never COM
pletely interrupted
All the telegraph companies reported their
wires down soon after midnight yesterday, and
only the Western Union had wires working even
by 2. m. The Postal Telegraph-Cable Com
pany officials said late in the afternoon that all
of their fifty wires between New York and
Washington were down. and that they had been
down all day. The American Telephone and
Telegraph Company had the same story 10 tell
Only the Western Union had wire working,
and over that came all the news that fed the
eyes Of the eager newspaper readers OF New
York.
Other cities we're Just as badly or as New
York. otherwise Father Knickerboczer might
have been more successful IN getting news in
directly. Baltimore, Wilmington. Pittshurg,
Philadelphia. and Boston were in the same pre-
Scament. All wires were down and all COM
m -nication was cut off.
But even by wire the news after while cir
Cumveated the storm. Messages wese tele-
graphed to Richmond. distance Of 11s miles;
were reIayed from there TO Atlanta, 532 miles
further: thence TO Cincinnati rs miles; from
cincinnati TO Chicago, 2s5 miles. and from Chi
gcago they were relayed to New York, a distance
OF $50 miles. So, by travelling 2.eO4 miles in
all. these messages accomplished journey
which by direct wire is only 225 miles.
FIFTY MILES OF POLES DOWN.
The Pennsylvania Railroad reported that fifty
miles Of telegraph poles were down between
The Susquehanna River and Washington Off
Gals Of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad in
louisville reported that there was no commu-
tuication on their line between Richmond or
louisville and Washington
When all other means o< communication
,eeerned out Of commission and Washington
began te look like blank space on tina map just
as the really interesting performances Of the
Enauguration were scheduled TO happen, recourse
was had TO the wireless companies. Even here
there was q measure Of disappointment The
Marconi company officials said that they had
no station at Washington.
We don't believe in land stations, you know"
they said ''Oh, no. the weather wouldn't make
any difference. The government has been send
ing messages all day long
The United Wireless Company fortunately had
recently established a station on the roof Of
the New Willard Hotel at Washington, and has
stations in Baltimore and Philadelphia But
when the operator first tried to get message
through. the numerous messages that were be-
sug sent between the Brooklyn navy yard, Phila-
deIphia and Baltimore and Washington seriously
interfered with its progress. Finally at II
O'Clock the United Company received the fol-
lowing from the capital:
Washington, March At commenced 10 rain
yesterday about p m Turned TO snow. sim
showing. About eight inches on the ground
The following message received ar the Phila-
delphia navy yard by wireless was relayed here
by wire:
washington March l. II q. might inches
of snow the ground and stil showing.
An effort was made TO reach washington by
Telephone at 10 a. N. via St Louis, Louisville
and Isvnchburg We, which is 126 miles south
OF Washington, and the nearest point IN com
rnunication with the outside world. Only few
words about the bad weather resulted
WASHINGTON CUT OFF AT $50 A. N.
The last telegraph message to leave Washing
ron early yesterday morning was at $50 when
81 was reported that snow was falling and that
she streets were almost impossible.
The Pennsylvania Railroad issued this state
enent from its central Offices in Broad street,
Philadelphia:
All telephone service south OF Wilmington and
Telegraph service south Of Edgewood is sus
pended owing to the wires being down. The
only northbound train from Washington which
has through the storm IS No. -, which
arrived st Philadelphia at 3 80 a. two hours
and forty minutes late Al g. 80 q. m. a freight
train reported at Elkton, Nd. followed by
DO. z2 q local passenger from Baltimore to
philadelphia, and two desdhead trains.
The crew Of the freight train reported they
had spent the night removing telegraph poles
switch had been blown down from about thirty
miles Of track south OF ED1ton. Md. having had
= hsgman in front and one behind the train. A
number OF trains which due at Philadel-
rhis this morning have not arrived and owing
% the suspension Of telegraph and telephone
Service, il is impossible TO ascertain where they
are Three work trains. with hundred extra
Sinesrnen. have been sent assist the regular
force IN restoring communication.