The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-03-29
CITY IN THE MAKING.
sUILDlNG OPERATIONS GOING ON
ABOUT THE TOWN.

1 n. 10 u
improvements OF most notable
character have already been started
by the Home Telephone Co., OF Oska.
loosa. in the placing of new concrete
foundation for the tanks and appli-
ances that are to be used In connec-
ton with the new storage battery sys-
tenn that they are about to install. The
battery room is located in the base.
ment under the front business Office
and is a room about 10 feet square,
but in a sense it is the heart of the
! telephone system of Oskaloosa In the
Introduction OF these new locations
/ the old system OF l60 ampere hours
known as the II 8 size, is to be taken
out and in its place an + l3 size 46u
ampere hour capacity, series of re-
lay batteries put in its place.
This win extend the expansion pow.
err OF the exchange nearly three times
its present capacity and all wire con
nections between the storage battery
system and the switchboards on the
second floor are to be protected by
steel conduits and the wiring carefully
installed. The entire battery system
! is thoroughly modern and complete
and as 1t is a vital part of the whole
Telephone system, it receives the most
careful and skillful attention. The
outlay for thu part of the improve
ments will each at least $4,000. or
course tn, sum is largely Increased
now tina, all metal appliances and
equipment is so high in price, the cost
having been in some cases Increased
$50 per cent and yet the company
in order to give the best service pos
sible, is constantly adding to and bet
tering their equipment.
Switch Board Additions.
From the battery system, the i'm
provements are extended all along
the line and first comes the terminal
room just east OF the central hallway
ON the main floor. This is divided IN
to three sections. the relay rack, sec.
Ond the intermediate rack, which dis
tributes the traffic among the various
operators and third the verticles OF
main frames which has to do with the
outside cable systems. Each OF these
sections will require an addition of
three feet of electrical appliances that
extends from the floor to the ceiling
of the room.
Added to this are all of the wire
connections that are to unite this sys.
tenn with the extension that is to be
made to the switch board on the sec
ond floor. Space for three additional
operators is to be added extending
the present board about seven feet
each of these operators win have di-
rect charge of 100 subscribers, so the
three stations will add $50 subscribers
to the present capacity of the board.
In a day of twenty-four hours, the
three shifts will require a total OF
siXty.siX operators when the extens.
ions are completed.
And not stopping here the city cable
system is TO be extended and u new
supply of cable ordered last December
has just been received. The company
consider themselves remarkably lucky,
in securing this cable for an extra ord
er for still another shipment was re-
Gently sent into the manufacturer and
they replied that they could not prom
Use Il shipment of the new cable be-
fore 1919 and it was rather uncertain
even then. This statement simply
gives an idea of the extreme condi.
tons that exist in the markets that
have to do with electrical supplies. 4
Back Of the switch board is net,
work of wire connections, that in the
extension noted will require the inl.
stallation of $500 multiple jacks,
which gives each operator access to
all subscribers. 1t will take possibly
three months before all of these add
tons changes and extensions are
fully completed, but the fact negerthe-
less remains that the Home Telephone
Company, in spite of the strained con-
ditions OF the electrical markets, is
doing its utmost to improve and give
to the public the best possible service
that the existing conditions will allow.
In time still further expansions are to
be made. but this will involve the in.
crease of building capacity and will
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