The Washington times., 1915-01-26
HISTORIC MESSAGE
IS FIRST TO COAST
N. Bell, in Opening Wire to Pa
cific, Repeats Words He
Used in 1876.

NEW YORK. Jan. 2s.-"Mr. Watson.
are you there?"
These words, from Alexander Gra-
ham Bell. inventor Of the telephone,
to Thomas A. Watson, were the first
ever transmitted BY human voice
over WIRE That message was sent
on March 10, 1876. from one room In
a boarding house to another.
And yesterday. the same message
was sent by DR.. Bell to Mr. Watson.
over 3,400 miles Of wire, from New
York to San Francisco.
continental telephone line was cele-
hrated yesterday afternoon and last
night ii, New York. San Francisco.
Boston, and Jekyl Island. Ga.
4,750-Mile Conversation.
The record for long distance talking
was established last night when
Theodore N. Vail, president of the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company. on Jekyl Island. talked by
way of Boston, to Mr.. Watson in San
Francisco, the wire being stretched
4,760 miles. In the afternoon Mr.. Vail
had talked to Mr.. Watson through
New York, a distance Of $500 miles.
After talking for q minute or two
through a modern instrument to Mr..
watson, DR.. Bell picked up an exact
duplicate of the telephone made for
him by Mr.. Watson in 1875. the original
tion In Washington. This was connect,
ed with the San Francisco wire, and
DR.; Bell spoke through It. ,
Hello. Mr.. Watson he said. Can
Il hear you perfectly Mr.. Watson
K pleased smile spread over DR.. Belrs
face as he nat he ths
ment at which hundreds had laughed
in derision in 1875 This, to him, he con-
b fessed. was the most touching incident
After Dr.. Bell and Mr.. Watson had
talked Mayor Mitchell and Mayor Roth
of San Francisco exchanged greetings.
Hello, Mr.. Mayor. As mayor OF New
York. which stands at the gateway Of
the East, I greet you. as mayor Of San
Francisco, which stands at the gate
way of the West. 1t Is long way to
San Francisco, but l think that by the
completion of the transccntinental tele-
phone line our respective cities are now
doubly Joined together, first by the
Panama Canal, which Joins us together
for the rapid passage Of maritime COM
merce, and now by the telephone, which
links us together by the power of tho
human voice"
The two mayors then chatted for sew
cral minutes. exchanging pleasantriea
After President McAneny. of tho
board of aldermen: Controller Prender-
sast. and others had talked to officials
in San Francisco. President Wilson en-
tered the circuit. He first spoke to
President Moore. of the Panama-Pacific
Exposition, and said:
1T appeals to the imagination te
speak across the continent It Is a fine
omen for the exposition that the frs
thing it has done Is to send its voice
from sea to sea. I congratulate you o,
a HllCCQSS0hl
ton. 1 am confidently hoping to talk,
part in it after the adjournment o
Next Mr. Wilson talked to Mr.. Wat
II want to say to you, Mr.. Watson.
he said. that I consider 1t an homo
TO be able to express my admiration TO
the inventive genius and scientific
sIble. and my pride that this vital corr
should have been stretched acros
America, as sample OF our energ.
and our enterprise. ! want to conve!
To- you my personal congratulations
II thank you from the bottom Of m,
heart. Mr.. President replied Mr.. Wat
son. II consider 1t a great honor t
time with the President Of the unite
States"
President Talks To Bell.
Or. Bell, who had heard all tina
passed between the President and MI
Watson. was then introduced by wire t
the President. He said:
Il am glad to have the opportunit
of talking to you. Mr.. President. owe
the first transcontinental telephon
line"
Il am very much obliged to YOU,
said Mr.. Wilson II want to congrat
ulate YOU very warmly on this notabl
llypr n long
remarkable achievements. / thirk thi
will be remembered as memoraol
day. I convey to you my warm con
GratulatiOns.'
continent yesterday will be opened TO
commercial purposes on March !. !
was announced that the charge for
telephone conversation between NeN
York and San Francisco would be SO
for the first three minutes. and $6.75 10
each minute thereafter. When one ma
in New York talks to a man In Sa
Francisco $1,000. 900 worth of apparatu
will be tied up and cannot be used fC
the duration of the conversation fo
any other purpose: 1t Is expected tina
in normal conditions, it will requir
about ten minutes to put a ca
Through" across the continent
Just Few Figures.
Here are some figures in connectiO
with the Ne" 1Ork-oan FRANCISCO lin
Length of line. 3.40O miles. Rout
from San Francisco to Salt Lake Cit
30 miles; from Salt Lake City to Del
yer. $50 miles; from Denver to Oman
5s5 miles: from Omaha to Chicago. 6
miles. At Chicago the line branchee
one branch going to Pittsburgh. :
miles. and then to New York. 800 mil
from Pittsburgh. The other brant
goes from Chicago to Buffalo, 603 mile
md then down to New York. $50 mile
There is a continuation of the line fro
Buffalo to Boston, 465 miles long. Fro
Pittsburgh there Is a continuation e
tending to Baltimore. 25O miles ava
on to Washington. 265 miles. Philadt
rhia is reached by branch from Il
line extending from Pittsburgh to Ne
York. connecting at Newtown square
Tho diameter of the harddrawn co
Tor wire of number s b. w. G. gau
used in the line is .l65 inch. The tot
weight of one circuit consisting OF tS
!" wires is l. 4S0 tons.
"a 10000 poles in the line.
Nvsical circuits Of [
ling two wirt