The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-02-25

as II Inc L"O peIsOuS we're td4h1AS
face to face. And the roads now
using telephones enforce a rule on
their dispatchers that absolutely pre-
vents them from talking too fast.
They are required to write out or
ders as they are given. The opera
tors likewise write them out. When
finished, the orders are read back
and checked off by the dispatchers
word for word.
Many times a dispatcher has been
unable to "call" the operator at a
way station because he happened at
the time to be out Of hearing Of his
telegraph instrument. Most way sta
tion operators are station agents,
too. They have to sell tickets, look
after the unloading Of freight and
express, make out reports, and do
half a dozen other things. The tick
ing Of telegraph instrument is in
telligible only to an operator. But
anybody knows the meaning Of a
telephone bell. Should a way sta
ton operator be at the far end of
his warehouse platform when the
dispatcher "called," by telephone,
either he will hear the bell ring or
somebody else will and call him.
Great Time-Saver.
Not only in these ways is the dan
ger Of wrecks minimized, but wreck
delays of hours are reduced to min
utes, suffering is prevented, and
lives are saved by the telephone. It
is a peculiar fatality of wrecks that
most always occur at lonely
places, far from the reach Of tele-
graph stations. A member Of the
crew has to leg it to the nearest in
strument and often it takes him
hours.
And right here is where the tele-
phone has a tremendous advantage
over the telegraph. Every train
crew is equipped with what the tele-
phone people call a ''portable set, -
which is nothing more nor less than
a receiver, transmitter,. bell, and
wires that can be connected with the
through circuit anywhere along the
line. A train is wrecked. In two
minutes the conductor has man a:
the top Of nearby pole, talking to
the chief dispatcher. And in ten
minutes the wreeking train steam:
out Of the yards and rushes away
to the scene.
Any body can use telephone, and
it introduces the element Of personal
relationship into the dealings Of a
dispatcher with his agents. They
are brought closer together. Every
day they hear one another'5 voices.
They "get acquainted" One phone
conversation can do more in case of
an emergency than dozen tslesrams
and takes less time than the ez-
change Of two Morse. messages. Il
gives the advantage of man 10 man
understanding Of the situation 70
matter how complicated, and, in
cases Of emergency, brings those who
can do the most good into immedi-
ate contact and control. The modern
railroad. telephone system has been
so perfected that a dispatcher can
call the agent at any way station
without being heard by any others,
or he can change plug, ring a bell,
and flash the 'general alarm" over
his whole system.
The Georgia road will use equip
ment manufactured by the Western
Electric company, pioneers in devei-
oping the telephone for railroad use.
The circuits Of copper wire, strung
ON poles Of the Western Union Tele-
graph company. Current will be sup
piled by dry batteries. Work Of in
stalation will begin in a week or so
and in about 60 days, it is : stated,
the system will be ready for use. It
will cost about $4,000.