Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-07
SERVED.
BY STAR RETURNS.
Election News Is Furnished
Public Through Every Con-
ceivabIe Invention.

All the communication methods OF
modern science were employed by The
Evening Star last night to keep Wash
ingtonianS informed of the progress OF
the national election and local results
in various parts of the country.
Radio, telephone, telegraph, motion
pictures and aerial signal lights, in ad-
dition to the printed page, were called
into service to carry the news of the
Republican victory to thousands in the
District and nearby Maryland and
Virginia,
In cooperation with the Associated
Press, with its facilities for gathering
news In every part of the Nation, scores
of special correspondents in nearby
Maryland and Virginia and the radio
station of WMAL: The Star was able
to provide one of the most complete
election services ever given the public.
Long Preparation.
Weeks we're spent in the preparations
for last nights election service. Bat
teries of special telephones were in
stalled in the newSroom, on the sew
enthe floor of The Star Building. to give
direct connections with election CORE
spondentS scattered throughout Mary
land and Virginia.
This reserved the regular Star switch
board for the thousands Of incoming
telephone calls for information. From
6 o'clock to midnight these calls were
being received at the rate Of from so
to so a. minute, taxing the board to its
capacity. The battery of operators was
given a special bulletin service from
the news department, which kept them
abreast of the developments from mo-
ment to moment and enabled them to
give callers the latest information at
all times.
1t was the aim of The Star in pro-
viding its election news service to make
it possible for every resident OF the
Capital and its suburbs to have reliable
and authentic news of the election, nc
matter where he might be during the
evening. To achieve this aim The Star
used every possible means to bring
election information quickly before the
crowds in the downtown streets, in the
theaters, and at home. Stereopticon
radio, bulletins to be read at the
theaters, phone service, extra editions
and a giant Army Searchlight to flash
signals visible for a radius of many
miles outside the District all were en-
ployed in this special service. No mat
lC1 WAIClC lily we're VI Wlldt t4lSy NCAS
doing, Washington people we're able
throughout the evening to obtain tbs
latest news.
Crowd Sets Record.
The throng in front of The Star
Building last night was said by first
precinct police to be the greatest cleo
ton night gathering in history. From
the minute the radio amplif1ers in front
of the building were turned on before
o'clock to the first bulletin flashed
on the big twin screens erected for the
purpose until long after midnight this
crowd was kept posted from minute tt
minute as to the results.
The hundreds of bulletins flashed or
the screens were prepared by specia
staff in The Star news department
from the dispatches gathered by the
great staff of the Associated Press anc
The Stars special correspondents. Ar
interesting musical program and q
number of motion picture films helped
to fill in the odd moments when cleo
ton news Jagged in interest.
Star bulletins, relayed by telephone
were read at frequent intervals during
the evening in 80 Washington theaters
The Star made arrangements to
broadcast the election results over sta
ton WMAL throughout the evening
beginning at 6 O'Clock. The service
was operated from a studio in The
Star news department, Thornton FisteI
announcing the returns and Frederic
William Vile, noted political authority
and radio speaker, interpreting the lie.
suits. A special musical program was
given during the early part of the eve-
ming whenever there was a breathing
space between bulletins, but this had
to be abandoned after the first hall
hour when the returns began to tome
in without break or intermission.
Searchlight Used.
So that the thousands of residents in
nearby Maryland and Virginia might
know in general the progress of the
national elections without coming in tc
town, The Star arranged with the Army
to have big anti-arrcraft Searchlight
placed on the Monument grounds to
signal the results.
This Searchlight, fresh from six weeks
of tests at Fort Humphreys, Va. during
which it demonstrated useful range of
more than six miles, making its beams
visible 40 miles In clear weather, is one
of the most powerful in the country. AS
long as the election remained in doubt
the mammoth light was pointed directly
upward and flashed at frequent in
tervals. AS soon as the results began
indicating a definite trend toward
Hoover, in accordance with the pre-
arranged system of signals, the light
was flashed from east to west three
times in succession at intervals through
out the latter part of the evening. Then
when the confirmation of Hoovers cleo
ton came, the light was played east
and west for a period of 10 minutes.
AS the final touch in it's election serv-
ice, The Evening Star put on the streets
an extra edition containing the an
nouncement of Hoover'S election and
all of the bulletins, election news and
pertinent facts received throughout the
evening.