Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-01-26
FIRST TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
ACROSS CONTINENT ACCOMPLISHED
New York Talks Over Long Distance
With San Francisco, Spanning
Distance OF 3,4OO Miles.

New York. January a5-"Arr Won read,
San Franci>cog Put NJ the Mavor,
Mayor Mitchell here j. read, Ia talk"
New York talked over Ion. distance tel
tpholc To san Francisco today. Tn,
American Telephone and Telegraph Com
pan, has. after wears Of study and thu
expenditure of vast sums of money in re-
search work in maxim. improvements,
great and small. in its transmiltcrS. cable
sw%itchboar,ls and every other piece Of ap.
paratus. made il possible for the human
voice IN New York to be- heard instantly
ia san Francisco.
MaNor Mitchell. in addressing The *
~rcutivr of San Francisco. expressed his
best wishes for the SIrtc>s of the Pana-
ma Exposition. and Mayur James I;olph
Jr. IN reply commented ON the establish
mcnt Of the long distance communication
ccutives declared that they could hear
~ 4 happy auSpicr for success. Both cX-
ccutiyc> declared that the, could hear
each other ~ plainly ~ though making !;
local call. The call covered a distance
of : Ip miles. The longest call before
Was between New York and Denver. Il
distance of 2.O2O miles.
Dr. Graham Bell. the inventor of the
telephone. opened the conversation by
talking with Mr.. Thomas Watson. his
former assistant. who was on the san
Francisco end Of the line. starting of al
| y. m. with the call that The inventor had
used when first irving Ia send the human
voice across the telephone wire: Alloy.
.thoy." 10 which Mr.. Watson answered
instantly.
The office of President Vail. Of the
American Telephone and Telegraph Com.
panN. az IL Dev street was crowded when
th"talk started nj I o'clock with public
officials. representatives Of civic organ
izatiun>. engineers. scientists leaders in
the commercial aud ~financil world. prom.
incnt journalists and telephone officials.
President Wilson 1T Washington was then
connected an.I h. talked Ia the San Fran
else" office and Mayor Curlcy Of Boston
WAS later switched on the line. and he.
too, extended Ia Mavor Rolph the best
wishes Of his city.
Til" engineers Of the American Tclc-
graph Company. disappointed at the in.
ability of President Vail Ia be- ~ his ofic
TODAY and mdauntcd by the task before
them. connected President Vail al .Ickll
Island. nnr thousand miles down the At.
lantic >caboard. of the coast Of Florida
with the transcontinental line. and Mr..
Vail spoke 400 miles in his talk 10 san
Francisco. All the Conversations were
expressive of good wishes for the success
of the exposition at san Francisco.
Mr.. Vail said: AT the centennial cx.
hihition az Philadelphia the exhibit Of
the Bell system consisted of two tclc
phones CAPABLE of talking from one mart
of the room to another.
Fain> - the transmitted speech then
WAS. IL became at once the marvel Of all
the world. causing scientists ~ we'll aS
laymcn 10 cNclaim the wonder.
Starting with these feeble instruments
only the Bell Company by persistent
study. incessant experimenting and the
expenditure Of immense sums Of money
created an entire new art. ~inventing. dc.
rcl"ping and prrfectiug. making improve