The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-11-25
Repairing Fire Loss In Record Time

Replacing the Elizabeth City
North Carolina, switchboard after
the fire in the telephone office OF
that town was good example OF
modern rush order" business me-
thods. The switchboard that had
served the telephone users of that
vicinity was totally destroyed on
Saturday, November 5th. On We'd
nesday Of the next week, exactly five
days later, new one was shipped
from the factory at Hawthorne, IL
linois, by express.
The fire broke out in the back of
the switch board itself. Before help
could arrive it had completely con-
sumed the telephone Office equip
ment. 1t is said that the blaze was
the effect of spontaneous combustion.
Elizabeth City was in a bad way
without it's telephone service. When
fire of this sort occurs, Gripping
the entire telephone facilities of a
city, business and social affairs of
every sort are bound to suffer. 1t
was, therefore, up to the people in
charge to see that as little delay as
possible would ensue before service
could be resumed and everything
running smoothly again.
Word was at once wired to the
Western Electric Company at Allan
ia, Georgia. The Norfolk & Caro-
linaTelephone Company, which sup
plies service for Elizabeth City, is
adjunct of the Bell system, and the
Western Electric Company makes
all "BelI' telephones and apparatus.
Atlanta was able to furnish at
once small iodine emergency
board to take care Of the toll busi-
ness, which was most urgent at the
Elizabeth City Office. At the same
time a rush order" was entered
for duplicate of the orsginal install
lation. which was common battery,
lamp-signal switchboard, completely
modernized.
So it was that at Hawthorne, just
outside of Chicago, where the prin-
ciple factory Of the electric company
is situated, a telegram was received
early on that Saturday morning
stating that a duplicate of the origi-
nal board was wanted in great
hurry. The details were given briefly
with orders for haste, to relieve
Elizabeth City from its plight. The
Haw thorne people wired to Atlanta
| on Sunday night in reply, stating
that the replacing equipment would
go forward on Wednesday, Novem-
Der 10th.
All possible speed was made al
Hawthorne. The factory was able tC
make good on the job, and Wednes.
day saw the new board on its way
Replacing switchboards under time
pressure is one of the situations which
it is very often necessary to face. II
will not do for any city or town to be
long without telephone service. The
superiority Of American methods in
this respect was demonstrated wher
about a year ago fire destoyed the
Gutenberg exchange at Paris, France
All of the telebhone traffic of the
business center of the Frence capi
tai was handled through this switch
board, which was really very ex
tensive piece of apparatus.
The French Government, which ha
telephone matters in charge notified
a number of European concerns
which were invited to bid, inform
ing them that a time limit of sixt.
days, with penalty for each da.
over sixty, would be imposed.
All the European makers balke'
at these terms. Paris was cripple'
without her telephone service, an
turned to this country for aid. Th
Western Electric Company at Haw
thorne, Illinois. was able to max
the board, send it to.Paris, hav
it installed and accepted by tn
government, all within the tim
limit, incidentally affording foreig
companies a demonstration of up
tO-date American methods.