The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-10-15
NUMBER PLEASE Is
ENDED AT MIDNIGHT
Automatic. Apparatus Goes
Into Operation in Pennsyl-
yania Office.
THURBER DIALs FIRST
Beginning of New Method
Brings Together Many Tele-
phone Officials.

Machine switching telephone appara-
tus, the first of its type in New York
city, was placed in operation in the
Pennsylvania central office. Manhattan,
by the New York Telephone Company
at midnight last night approximately
100 telephone lines serving subscribers
I'm the Pennsylvania district. in which
are the hotels Pennsylvania, McAlpin,
Martinique and Waldorf-Astoria. We're
transferred from the manual switch
board to the new mechanical equip
ment.
The first call TO be dialed through the
new system was made by H. F. Thur
Der, president of the New York Tele-
phone Company. This call was fol-
lowed Immediately by number or test
calls on lines which are frequently used
in sending emergency calls, such as Tor
the Fire or Police Department
The opening of the new office brought
together here telephone officials and
engineers from various parts OF the
country, as it represents new de-
parture In mechanical telephone opera
ton in a system so large as that whlch
servesf New York. 1t was necessary
paratus and make sure that 1T was
ready to function smoothly but also to
coordinate it with the more than 100
other central offices of a different type
in the city's telephone system, so that
the two would work together perfectly
Part of this coordination task involved
the installation of Especial apparatus In
fifty central offices.
watches Were Timed To Task.
The program for the transfer had
been laid out with infinite care. Even
the watches of the men in charge were
synchronized before the final steps were
taken to make the cut over complete.
Not only was the apparatus pre-
viously subjected to tests covering
every conceivable type of service re-
uuirement but also every person who
in any way had a part in the transfer
had been carefully trained in advance
This training was given to more than
one hundred operators who will handle
toll. long distance and special calls
Until the cut over took place all that
kept the new dial Instruments from
being operated under the machine
switching method were tiny brass
wedges placed in the relays controlling
the central office apparatus, which
prevented tine electrical current from
flowing into what Is technically known
as the Zine switches" which perform
the initial step in establishing u con-
nection mechanically. Duplicate wire
connections were made in the lines to
be transferred from their terminals on
the manual switchboard to their new
terminals on the mechanical apparatus.
Removing these wedges and pulling the
heat coils or fuses on the main distribu-
ting frame of the old switchboard were
the principal elements in the cut over.
AS there were a great number of these
tiny wedges to be pulled out cords were
attached to each wedge converging into
a master cord so that large numbers OF
wedges were pulled out simultaneously.
How the Change Was Made.
At 1850 came the order to stand by"
The forces engaged in the task took
their designated places. A brief final
inspection was made. At 11:55 the Sig
nal to cut was given. The heat coils
or fuses in the manual apparatus were
pulled out, thus cutting off the lines
from the manual equipment. The
wedges were then withdrawn and cleo
trical life passed from the old board
into the new equipment.
Among the telephone men who wit
messed the transfer were groups from
the New England Telephone and Telo-
graph Company, the Bell Telephone
Comapny~ of Pennsylvania, the Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany, the Western Electric Company
and the New York Telephone Company.