Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-12
GETTING
To Be AN EXPERT
BUTT0N-PUSHER
Nothing of Big National Inter-
est and Concern Is Properly
Opened" Except by
President.

Washington, Nov. S.-Presldent Wilson
some time this month will press a button
at the White House and so officially open
the new Houston. Texas, ship cana,
which was completed on September I
The canal runs from Houston to Bolivar
roads in the Gulf of Mexico, 81 miles.
The cost of clearing n line for that one
official flash, involving the suspension of
service over thousands Of miles Of wire
and the attention Of scores of men, Is
borne by any telegraph company over
whose lines it goes. There is a tacit un-
Outstanding between the telegraph COM
panies and the White House that the wire
service will be free for all events of sufl-
Client Importance to merit the Presidents
attention.
The greatest ~button-pushing event in
the history of the white House was the
Presidents flash which blow M the Gam
boa dixie In the Panama canal and allowed
the water to enter the big ditch for the
first time.
HOW THEY PREPARE FOR IT.
j. T. Bresnahan Of the Western Unions
Washington office is the man VINO superin-
tends the wire details when the President
touches a button. The next big event Of
this kind will be the opening of the Pan
ama-Pacifc exposition at San Francisco
next year, and Mr.. Rresnahan told a re-
porter yesterday just how it will be
worked.
Several days before the date of the Of
fetal opening the company offices at
points along the route selected for the
flash will be notified that at a certain
hour, on a certain day, the President
will open the exposition. About 30 mimi
ties before the time set the Washington
office will cut in" a wire from the White
House and attach it to one Of a certain
number of wires assigned for exclusive
service between Washington and Chicago.
1t Is the custom to rig two circuits out
of Washington, to prevent possible acct
dents or mistakes that would delay the
message.
chicago is notified that wires, say No.
119 and No. 1N4. Washington and Chicago.
VIII he used for the flash. During the
full half-hour prior to the sending of
the flash these wires are kept absolutely
clear of messages, except the signals Of
the wire chiefs, who are rigging the cir
suit. "Repeaters" are placed at fire.
auent intervals along the route. The ire
peaters' are simply instruments used to
add further energy to the circuit at dif-
ferent points.
READY FOR THE FLASH"
The first repeater" station will be at
Cumberland, Md, 1O miles northwest of
Washington. Here an operator. with
delicate instruments, will be stationed to
see that the circuit carries the proper
voltage over his section. Another ire
peater' may be stationed at Pittsburg. or
Newark. Ohio. These men keep the cur
rent energized. They do not really re-
peat the Presidents flash. The initial
Impulse given at Washington carries
straight through to the coast.
When the Chicago office learns that
Washington is using wire 11a and lO4
these wires are promptly hooked up with
other wires through TO Omaha or Ogden
and the word passes along the line. The
Ogden operator finishes the circuit and
San Francisco is advised to make ready
for the flash.
At precisely the time named the Presi-
dent steps to a button in the White
House offices. gives 1t a push and the
aynnEifinn nnnne