The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-07-13

Miss Helen Adams, OF This Clty,
One OF Three Maryland Telephone
Operators To Get Theodore n
Vail Distinguished Service Medals
For Heroic Action.
Three Maryland young women
have been awarded the Theodore N.
Vail Distinguished Service Medals
for heroic action. One of the young
women is a BaItimorean, Miss Mae T.
Seibert, 1873 East 3Oth street, anu
was the Private Branch Exchange
generator at Mt. Holly Inn the nlght
of December End, when that notel
burned. The other two are MISS
Naomi K. Workman. Chesapeake d
Potomac Telephone Company opera
tor at Ocean City, Maryland' anu
Miss Helen B. Adams, chesapeake q
Potomac Telephone Company opera
tor at Cambridge, Md. They VIII De
given medals with citations, descrlp-
five of the action which impelled the
Theodore N. Vail Memorial Com
mittee of the telephone company 20
make the awards. The VAN medal
was recently established by the Bell
system as a memorial to the late
Theodore n. Vail The citations are
Miss Naomi X. Workman
Miss Naomi X. Workman, Grip
pie who can only walk with the ala
of crutches, remained on duty at the
telephone office at Ocean City, Mary
land. for fifteen hours during the
worst storm experienced there III
many wears. This storm was the
cause of damage estimated at S1ec'~
600. The boardwalk was ruined
and several houses were completely
demolished the base and the nrst
floor of practically every house IN
The own being under water me
Coast Guard was unable to make its
customary patrol and the water sup
ply was broken and the electric lght
plant put out of service.
In spite of the fact that the mousse
in which the telephone exchange Is
located was surrounded by water
and the foundations were in danger
of being washed out, Miss Workman
continued 10 operate the SWltchDoard
during the entire storm and COM
pleted many emergency calls Tor
help from the flooded districts.
Miss Helen B. Adams
On June 10, 1920, severe cleo
irical storm in the vicinity OF 1rd'-
ers Wharf killed one OF party OF
Young people who were bathing IN
the vicinity and stunned several
others. One of the party Immediate
" hurried 20 the nearest telephone
a rural line about two miles distant
to secure assistance. When the call
came in at the Cambridge, Mary
land Central Office, the storm was at
IS worst and Miss Helen B. Adams
The operator who answered the call
heard someone say, Send doctor
quick. someone is kill" Tne line
then went out of service ana MISS
Adams was unable to get any Iur-
Their details. She Immediately got
in touch with Il doctor ana iold hin
of the telephone call, advising NM
20 go to Travers Wharf as the eau
was from a rural line in that vicinity
and that was a popular place TOT
naople to swim. 1t later developed
! hat one person had been killed, TWO
others severely injured, several
slightly stunned. and they were all
taken to the Cambridge Hospital,
and the two who had been severely
injured would undoubtedly have dled
if it had not been for the prompt
work of Miss Adams i sending
doctor.
Miss Adams has been an operator
at Cambridge Maryland for the last
four years.
Miss Mae p. Seibert
Miss Mae P Seibert, T. b. -
onerator at Mt. Holly Inn, Baltimore,
came on duty about $50 P. M, tues
day. December 2, 1920, a91 was
:, 707T 70 lake ner place at the s%ffsclf-
board to relieve Miss Wampole'
when one of the guests called OUT,
There is a fire somewhere upstairs
and another guest said, the. foo4 Is
on fire. AS the elevator, localeu
directly along side the sWltehooaru
camn down, Miss Seibert smelleo
smoke and Immediately called the
fro denartment. She then notlneu
all the guests in their rooms anu
continued to call the room telephones
until service was put out OF oluel
due 10 the outside trunks to the cen
tral office being burned through II
vas some time before the nre ue-
nartment responded to the alarIi'
and in the meantime, Miss SelDeiI'
iogether with Miss Wampole ana MI.
Swartz. a manager, carried out ol
the burning building what RECORDS
and hooks they could and Locked
other valuables in the safe; only
leaving the building when the ei oe,,
vator supports were burned through
allowing the car to crash to the hrst
floor. when they were ordered out by
the police. .,o
Miss seibert was engaged by the
Chpsapeake & Potomac Telephone
Co. in 1911 as a clerk in the Bling
Danartment. She afterward became
a local operator at Mt. Vernon ex-
changed and then long distance
onerator in Baltimore, resIgnlng
december 1913. She was employ
ed at Mt. Holly Inn September l9Zo'
and had been there approximately
four months when the fire occurred.
| She at present resides at 1873 East
goth street, Baltimore, Maryland