New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-17

might be free for the use Of the next
impatient caller on the waiting list.
This was the case with all converse
tions from borough TO borough IN
which a lull developed, for operators
were kept listening in Oh the lines.
Excuses of No Avail.
All sorts of excuses were heard By
the exchange managers as more re-
sourceful persons tried TO force them
selves ahead or the waiting list. some
represented themselves as physicians
who wished 10 give Instructions over
the phone that might save patient
life. Others were led TO the VlcaIl-
Gus crime Of 'impersonating an ON
GER" Still others business men de,
layed" in Manhattan with congeniai
friends, for the most pGrt--warned
the managers that painful domestic
scenes would be the result II they
we're not permitted an explanatory
word with wife in Brooklyn. Certain,
" the broken cable proved decided
stimulus TO the New York magma
ton.
At II o'clock the telephone company
announced that at least seventeen
trunks. affecting $500 lines, were out
Of working order.
"However, that does not mean that
even one of the Brooklyn exchanges is
cut off," said telephone official. we
have at numerous points below Fulton
Street cables running into Brooklyn,
and we arc as far as possible connect
ing through them.
at does mean, though, that we will
not be normal for several days, In all
probability. The matter seems 70 be
getting worse instead Of better. AT
first only two trunks we're affected; now
there are seventeen.
"The company's men are now carry
ing the trunks TO other cables. This
will help considerably. The only thing
Is that the Beekman exchange. one Of
the most important Of the night ex-
changes, is badly crippled. We have
only one trunk running into Main"
The leased wire of the Fire De
partment was one Of those torn UP.
This wire was used chiefly for the
transmission Of messages from the
Brooklyn department to fireboats in
the East River. Fire Headquarters
announced that such calls will have to
be relayed through the New York sig
nal Office for the next few days, with
incidental delay.
X. F. Riley, night traffic manager for
the telephone company, announced
that seventeen cables were torn from
the cradle on the Brooklyn side. These
held $500 pairs Of wires, some of
them private lines and others trunks.
II cannot promise that service will
be up TO the standard by morning" he
said, "but / am sure it will be rea-
sonably good. We are making excel
lent progress with the repair work"
The Almirante, the cause of all the
trouble, had just arrived in port with
a cargo Of fruit. A strong current was
running, and when the tug hawsers
were slipped. her captain deemed the
situation so threatening that he did
not look twice at the Gable Crossing;
Don't Anchor" warning.
The Almirante's anchor took hold"
with gratifying readiness. but il was
the cable it caught and not the mud
bottom Of the river. 1t was probably
just as the tugs took hold again and
th Almirante started 70 weigh anchor
that the cable snapped.
Many persons in Long Island towns,
having urgent business 10 be trans
acted with the city. found themselves
little better off for trying TO substitute
kilograms for telephone messages. Al
ter the closing hour of the telegraph
Offices on the island messages are
usually telephoned to the main Office
in Manhattan. The situation was
somewhat relieved by the telephoning
Of the messages TO Brooklyn, whence
they were telegraphed across the river.
The New York Telephone Company
issued this statement early this morn
ing:
"An accident in the East River last
night caused damage to q number of
our submarine telephone cables, and
interrupted service on Approximately
5000 circuits connecting the boroughs
of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
GAS n result Of this serious accident
there is temporarily an unavoidable
delay on telephone messages between
these boroughs. The work Of restora-
ton Of the service is being pushed with
the utmost dispatch, and it is expected
that the interruption will not be Of
long duration. :.
In this emergency the company
asks that the telephone using public
kindly cooperate with it by bearing
with patience any delays that may be
aynarfaurqf ~