Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-21
GIGANTIC PHONE
JOB AT MT. GRETNA
Plant and Traffic Engineers
Complete Work in Record
Time in Emergency

The Importance of Harrisburg as a
center of activity in the telephone
world was again demonstrated when it
became apparent Monday morning that
the Pennsylvania National Guard was
to Oe mobilized at Mount Gretna. orders
Were issued by division heads of The
Bell Telephone Company or Pennsyl-
an prepare for an emergency job of gil
gantic proportions. a few minutes
after the orders were given, men and
women were IN motion gathering men
the new city. Plant and traffic engi-
neers began survey of Mount GreJna
and the ground between there and
Lebanon to ascertain what additional
facilities would be required.
Mount Gretna, quiet little summer
RESORT with its comfortable cottages
looking out from under the big shade
trees VIII within few days spring into
a busy city with an increase of more
than 10000 population, when the Penn
sylvania National Guard assemblies
there to. prepare to move to the MeXi-
can border
When the mobilization order was is
board with twenty local subscribers
lines and three trunk circuits to Leba-
non Eight and one-half miles of
emergency caDie were ordered from
Harrisburg and Philadelphia to be
erected between Mount Gretna and
Lebanon to provide thirteen additional
gdoO w4 eef Of ine d
tributing material and a large consign-
ment of telephone sets were ordered.
One. carload OF cable was loaded at
Philadelphia Monday night and sent out
by express at 2 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing, arriving at Lebanon at 6. Two
gangs of linemen were sent to Leba-
non from Reading Monday night and
these men unloaded the cable upon its
arrival, and by in the morning had
5000 feet of 1t erected. AT 1880 Tues
Harrisburg with cable, line material
and a large gang or llnemen. arriving
at Mount Gretna at 1890, and the work
of erecting cable from that point be-
gan. Another truck loaded with cable
left Harrisburg at II o'clock and one
from Philadelphia at with loading
coils" arriving at Mount Gretna at .
in the afternoon.
Between Lebanon and Cornwall the
cable was strung on the Bell Company 8
own pole line and from Cornwall to
one-half miles-the pole line of the
Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad Com
pany was used To get the material
ments were made with the Cornwall
and Lebanon Railroad Company to fur
nish an engine and fiat cars, and in this
way the material was unloaded at the
desired points in quick time.
Direct Toll Circuits
Direct toll circuits will be provided
between Mount Gretna. Lebanon. Har-
risbuTg and Reading.
Orders were issued by Lieutenant
Colonel L. V. Rausch to install tele-
phones in the field headquarters OF
Major General Charles NJ. Clement
First, Seconds Third and Fourth Bri-
gade headquarters. artillery and cav
airy headquarters, commissary and
quartermaster's headquarters. In addi-
/ tion to the stations public telephones
will be installed throughout various
parts of the camp.
In spite of the fact that job of such
proportions under ordinary circum-
stances would require several weeks tc
complete, an official of The Bell Com
pany stated that all cable and line work
| will be finished, switchboards will be
installed. additional operators provided
and everything ready for service by
Thursday morning, June %