The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-24
) AWARDED
PHONE CO,
MEDALS
Employees Of c. & P. Honored
For Heroic Service in
Theater Disaster.

Three employees of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone
Company will next month be the
recipients of the Theodore N.
Vail medals for noteworthy pub
lie service for the heroic duty
they rendered during the Knick-
erbocker disaster last year, it
was announced today. They are:
Picked for HonOrs.
Miss Ruth Cleveland Cooke, 611-A
Orleans place northeast, chief
operator, information.
Miss Ruth Marie Townsend, 1927
Chaplin street northwest, evening
chief operator in Columbia central
office.
F. Stone Crismond, sos Seventh
street southeast, supervisor Of mo-
tor vehicles for Washington.
The Vail Medal awards were es-
tablished in 1921, for the purpose
of giving recognition to telephone
employees who performed specially
meritorious service in the line of
duty and upheld the ideals Of the
late Theodore ". Vail, former head
of the Bell system. The presenta-
ton will be made at a meeting
next month which will be attended
i by all telephone employees.
Calls All Operators.
The first flash of news concern.
ing the KnickerbOcker collapse was
received in the Columbia exchange
about $3.50 o'clock that Saturday
night from a man calling from a
coin box station. The operator who
/ received the call Immediately mott
fled Miss Townsend, who was in
charge of the exchange.
Miss Townsend at once organized
her force to handle the heavy traf.
fic she knew was inevitable, since
the theater was located in the area
of her central office. Already the
girls at the switchboard were heav-
lily taxed, owing to the record.
breaking snow storm which still
continued. but by calling to work
all operators in the building-those
on relief, those just relieved and
! those waiting for trucks to trans
port them-Miss Townsend obtained
force that was able to cope with
the unprecedented flood of calls.
She arranged for special s4per.
from police headquarters, hospitals
ambulance stations, fire depart
! ment, doctors and newspaper offices.
Although for hours after the
disaster telephone traffic was ex
tremely heavy and difficult to
handle because of the excitement
Miss Townsend manipulated her
| forces, the committee says, with
nd rrTifh
the result that telephone communi
| cation was at all times available.
Called Aid For Victims.
At the time of the disaster. Miss
Cooke was on duty at "Informa-
ton" Although scheduled to go
home at 5 D. m. she had remained
at work because of the storm, and
| when the first call telling of the
theater collapse was received, she
was notified. Immediately she
called a telephone near the theater
| and verified the original report.
Realizing the seriousness of the
| situation, Miss Cooke Immediately
directed her forces to notify every
agency capable of rendering assist.
| ance. Police headquarters, ambu-
lances and hospitals were called,
and by making use of the classified
section OF the telephone directory
| more than lO6 doctors in the vicinity
| or the theater were asked to go to
the scene. All available agencies
were brought into immediate action
to the end that suffering and loss Of
life were minimized.
Kept Trucks at Work.
The medal to Crismond was
awarded for his work in maintain.
ing a fleet of telephone trucks at
the disposal of the relief workers.
During the day and evening he had
directed the trucks which were car
rying operators to and from work,
so that when news of the accident
was received he had a complete
force at his disposal. A telephone
truck was the first to transnort any
of the injured to a hospital. and
during the rest Of the evening most
or the telephone truck equipment
more than thirty machines-were at
the scene. Two or three were kept
In reserve, but these were soon at
work after the Washington motor
corps, marine barraSs and navy
yard asked for vehicles to transport
nurses, first-aid supplies, acetylene
torches and derricks.
Crismond was on duty all day
saturday, Saturday night, and Sun.
DAY. Chauffeurs worked similar
hours. and acetylene welders in the
employ OF the telephone company
worked Saturday night and Sunday
cuttlng their way into the theater
wreckage.