The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-25

against AZ in 1912. The mileage Of
telephone pole line for train dispatch
ing purposes was 95,26S an increase
Of CTS per cent as compared with
1872. and the mileage of wire was 20l,
E662. an increase of 55,7 per cent over
1914 The total line mileage OF rail-
roads reporting the use of telephones
for transmitting train orders in 1871
amounted to 1i0;4o4. II is asserted
that not a single accident has resulted
from the use of telephones in train
dispatching.
Wireless Telegraph Systems.
All the wireless telegraph systems
in the United states were taken by
the federal government under author
ity of an executive order issued April
|, 6, 1917, for which reason the figures
for 1917 give little indication of the
increase in commercial wireless tele-
graph operations during recent years,
The systems reported for 1917 num-
bered 8, as compared with 4 in l9lz
and in 1917, and the number of
tower stations was 63, as compared
with "a i'm 1912 and III in 1907. The
number of messages handled prior to
April 6 was 122,24 No exact record
of the number transmitted during the
period OF government operation is
availa BILE. but it Is roughly estimated
that $4,000 messages were handled
between April and December 81,
I19l7. This number, added to that al
ready eixens- would make a total of
more than .450,10o. representing an
increase of approximately SO per cent
as comrared with; u IL and OF isl per
cent ovcr / 947
The total income and the net income
increased greatly. TheN former ag
eregated 1885, $50 in 1917, repre-
senting a gain of 107 per cent over
1907, and the latter amounted to
s60a.52e. as compared with a net in
come of s4.73s in 1912 and a net de-
felt of s53.53s in 1917, The en-
ployes numbered 5ss. a decrease of
IS 8 per cent from the corresponding
number in 1912 but an increase OF 233
per cent over the number for 1907,
and their salaries and wages aggre-
gated s4s1.4o2 an increase of 17.2 per
cent over 1912 and of 464.3 per cent
over 1907.
In addition to the commercial shore
stations, there were in operation dur
ing the early part"of the year 6.0s9
general and restricted amateur sta =
tions. SIS special amateur stations, rs
experimental stations. and ~ training
schools.
The records OF the Bureau Of Navi-
cation. of the navy department, show
that on June 80, 1918. there were in
operation 134 commercial shore sta
tons and s3s commercial ship sta
tions. or the shore station, 81 were
in continental United States. rs in
Alaska, 9 in Hawaii and / in Porto
Rico.
Government Wireless.
The VI h.u cd al a
plants a various points along the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts and at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Cavite, in
the Philippines. The government
shore stations, according to the re-
ports OF the Bureau of Navigation
numbered 1875 on June 80. 1918, of
which IS were in continental United
States. 20 in Alaska 10. in the Philip
pine Islands. in the Canal Zone, 2
in Hawaii. and each in Porto Rico,
Guam. and Samoa, The government
ship stations totaied 40.
The station at Arlington, Va. has
been in regular communication with
the station at Chollas Heights, near
San Diego, California, since May /.
1877. Direct communication with an
Italian government station In Rome
was also established. On Septem Der
2s, 1917 radio communication was
established between Arlington and
Pear Harbor. Hawaii, via Sayville, N
Y. Messages are now transmitted be-
tween Arlington and the Philippines
through San Diego. California. and
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Under favor
able conditions. at night, the Airing
ton station can communicate directly
with the Pearl Harbor station, but the
usual practice Is to relay through San
Diego.