The Detroit times., 1914-11-18
WILSON GETTING
TO BE AN EXPERT
BUTTON-PUSHE1
Nothing of National Interel
Properly Opened" Except b
President
CAREFUL PREPARATION
BY TELEGRAPH PEOPL
Keeps Scores Of Men Along q
Line on Lookout to Prevent
Any Glitch"

WASHINGTON. Nov. 13.-Preside
Wilson the other day pressed q b
ton at the White House and 80
flcially opened the new Houston. Ts
ship canal which was completed
Sept. z. The canal runs from Ho.
ton TO Bolivar Roads In the Gulf
Mexico. 81 miles.
The president In like manner Cpd
ed the new Kansas City union statiS
on Oct 81.
The cost OF clearing a line for th|
one official flash. involving the 81
pension of service over thousands
miles OF wire and the attention
scores OF men, is borne by any .
graph company over whose lines
goes. There Is tacit understaI0
ing between the telegraph companl
and the White House that the WI
service will be free for all events
sufficient importance to merit {
presidents attention.
The greatest button-pushing eve.
In the history Of the White House "
the presidents fash which blew
the Gamboa dixie In the Panama
nal and allowed the water to ent
the big ditch for the first time.
How They Prepare For II.
]. T. Bresnahan, OF the Weste
Unions Washington ONCE, 10
man who superintends the wi
details when the president touch
o button. The next big event Of II
kind will be the opening OF the Ps
ama-Pacific exposition at San Frs
cisco next year. and Mr.. Bresnahl
told reporter today just how 1t "
be worked.
Several days before the date OF q
official opening the company off1cI
ut points along the route selected {
the fash will be notified that at
certain hour. on certain day, 4
president will open the expositit
About 80 minutes before the tirI
set the Washington Office will q
in wire from the White House al
attach II TO one OF q certain numb
Of wires assigned for exclusive q
vice between Washington and CT
cago. IL Is the custom TO rig II
circuits out OF Washington, to p(
vent possible accidents or. mistak|
that would delay the message.
Chicago is notified that wires, 81
No. 1l9 and No. 104, Washington al
Chicago, will be used for the fi5A|
During the full half-hour prior To Il
sending OF the fash these wires 4
kept absolutely clear OF messages. \
cept the signals OF the wire chieI
who are rigging the circuit. IN
peaters" are placed at frequent init
walls along the route. The "repe@
ers' are simply instruments used i
add further energy to the circuit
different points.
The first repeater station will
at Cumberland, Nd, $50 miles mort
west of Washington. Here an OPT
ator. with delicate instruments. wi
be stationed to see that the 'circd
carries the proper voltage ove-
section. Another repeater" may
stationed at Pittsburgh, or Newal
o. These men keep the current nj
gized. They do. not really repeat Il
presidents flash. The initial impul|
given at Washington carries straig|
through TO the coast.
! When the Chicago office learns th|
! Washington Is using wires 119 al
104 these wires are promptly hootlI
up with other wires through
Omaha or Ogden and the word pass
along the line. The Ogden opera.|
finishes the circuit and San Frsj
cisco Is advised to make ready 4
the fash.
At precisely the time named n
president steps to button In Il
White House offices, gives II puI
and the exposition opens.
Usually there Is very little cen
mony attached to these button-pus
ings at the White House. There wi
an extra furry over the .Gamboa dill
affair, but that was OF such far-reac
ing Importance as to warrant II. y
Is likely that the opening Of the p
ama-Pacific Exposition also will be Z
impressive affair. there may be
gathering Of exposition officials I
hand to see IL done and carry avs
| the button as a souvenir.
In sending the presidents fla,
from Washington to San Francis,
40 or 80 men may give the ma
ter their undivided attention for nea
! ly an hour. There are the ''repeate
men as well as the STATS In the b
city offices like Washington. Chicas
! Omaha and San Francisco.
! Mr. Bresnahan said that to h
knowledge the company never hi
made an effort to figure out the &C
uai cost of sending n coast-to-coa
fash, but that II Is considerable.
IL is the special nature OF the flas
that wears on the nerves OF the tel
graph men. II a presidential me
sage should go wrong they won
account II big blot upon their re
ords, That Is one reason why tv
circuits are usually made to carry i
flash. u is only the Washington O
fee which knows, prior to the sen
ing. which of the circuits will be use
This is done to keep the men alor
the route keyed up to the proper a
gree OF attention, so that the idle CT
cult could be brought into instaI
play II necessary.
AS soon as the fash has gor
through the circuit Is dismantls
and the telegraph traffic, flows q
over the same wires which but
short time before carried the Pres
dante fash