Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-24

! another pair Of wires on to the person who
receives the message, or who has explained
to him the complicated, but instantaneous
working Of the apparatus that is necessary
TO get instant communication between q
local subscriber and distant city, begins
to realize the enormity Of the enterprise.
Complicated Network.
Every telephone instrument in Omaha Is
entered into the exchange by two twisted
wires running to the central switchboard.
These wires run in punches Of twenty or
more in absolutely water tight cables.
These cables moisture proof, for any
drop of moisture within this cable would
cause instant trouble and cause one con-
versation to jump from one line to another,
Each of the 10000 pairs of wires coming
through the underground passage way into
the Eighteenth street exchange. represents
an individual telephone or a party line.
Shortly after entering the building these
cables are famed out" which means that
the wires are separated and run into the
individual connections along the rack In
order that interference with lightning and
other outside causes may be avoided. Each
circuit Is run through carbon connections
80 that a stronger force than the ordinary
circuit can be thrown off and grounded"
so that any charge too heavy for the
switch board for which the message must
ultimately come, is by this means thrown
into the ground before it can do any harm.
All of the wires from the rack to the |
basement are run to the second floor where |
there is another or an intermediate dis
tributing rack, where the paired wires are |
connected with relays which supply third
wire for each telephone these three wires !
being used In connecting with the second |
w he iraf aR
with subscribers.
The exchange room where the connec-
tons are made is a mass Of switch-boards |
A constant murmur fills this room as one
must realize when 1t is understood that
100000 calls are made through the switch |
board every day in the year. Before every |
three or four feet Of switchboard space
a girl sits, constantly on the alert for calls !
coming In to her section. With her hands |
she Is constantly manipulating the plugs |
placing them in the Jacks" and listening |
| to the calls from other subscribers at the |
same time.
Girls Require Rest.
| On account of the rapidly Of the calls
during the rush" hours, each one of the
girls IL given a rest period of fifteen min
utes during each two hours OF work.
When the subscriber takes down his re-
sents his instrument ON the board OF the
operator to whom he Is connected, lights
up. The girl reaches for a pair of cords
and places the plug Of one Of them into the
proper Jack to connect her with the SUBJ
scrtber. Then she asks for the number. If
he calls for connection OF the same ex-
change she puts the other plug cord into
the proper jack that represents this tele-
phone and presses a lever. The lever rings
the second telephone, the one which Is to
receive the message. BY the working of
the signal light she can tell when the called
receiver IL taken down and when the con-
versation IL over. When both receivers are
hung up she takes out both the plugs and
they do service again In connecting two
others. If the subscriber ima8ines that he
Is causing the central operator any great
discomfort when he Jangles up and down
on the receiver he is much mistaken for
1t never reaches her only as tho flashing
Of a tiny light.
For every ten or twelve girls there is an
inspector who walks along behind them
continually, supervising, watching helping
ana working to insure patrons immediate
service There are In the employ of the
company nearly 400 girls of which number
about 200 are at work in the Douglas ex-
change on regular lines and sixty on toll
lines.
Rest Room for the Girls.
The girls have the use of a big locker
room and rest ROOM which is we'll sup
Piled with periodical reading matter. A
dining room with covered tables Is pro-
Wded where they can eat lunch. Tea or
coffee Is kept hot and sold for a nominal
price There is a hospital room we'll
equipped for emergencies.
The exchange room itself is ventilated
with a special apparatus which sucks air
in from above the roof by artificial means
and forces 1t through water vapor to re-
duce the temperature before it goes into
the room.
The operators busiest time varies accord
Ing to the exchange at which she works.
At the Douglas street office. where calls
come In almost entirely from business
houses, the busiest time comes between
and 10 In the morning, About 5000 calls
come in during this one hour. At the other
exchanges, which serve residence teIe-
phones, the maximum hour comes In the
evening between and g. This is the time
when the wires are used for 'ylsitinR -
The webster exchange gets about 1880 calls
during this hour and the Harvey about g. 900 |
BY means OF this vast and complex ma
chine all the wonders OF modern teIephonInK
are made possible. There Is no doubt In
Snyones mind nowadays as to the con-
venisnce of having a telephone in the homs
ana the absolute necessity of it In a bust
ness office.