The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-08

Last utBnt WopLOm.osu " column on WATRe initial test broadcast and we oftor t to-day. We hesitated to write It for yesterday, fearing that the newness of the sensation would cause us 70 overdo it. Even witn tne perspective of time, we Ind that it still rates as one of the biggest thrills we've ever experienced.
 It was . few minutes before 2 o'clock Wednesday morning and Attorney Milton Meyers, WATR vice.president, and your cOlulinist were seated in . i0.equipped car, parked on one of the hills overlooking Naugatuck. Just . few minutes before we had left the studios Sn the fifth floor of the Hadlcy Furniture Company quar. tcrs and had started as WATR's reception scouts. Har0lu Thomas, president and chief engi. neer at WATR, had told us that everything was perfectly prepared, and that he would turn on the power exactly nt 2. Tn the stu. iliOs to help Thomas put the local brondcnstcr on the nlr were Frank HaIcs, who was at the controls, and Russell Weiss, of Hadlcy's. .. :. Now hero we were, about six miles from the transmittcP and wonder. ing just how the first test would result.
 Tuesday had been n long and try ing night at tho studios for almost everybody. Additions had be- gun at o'clock and there were even more than the usual number of problems that como up every night. They'd finally ended up shortly before II and we man. aged to take time out for q sand wlch. Then we decided on q bridge game as the best means of whilInR away tho remaining hours before 2 o'clock, since the station Is not allowed to test before that time. It had come to 1:46 finally, and Milt and your writer had started out, our radio tuned exactly to 1190 kllocycles.
 The receiving set had begun
 to sDutter and Milt and
 stODIDcd our conversation long
 enough Co find out that lt was
 n false alarm. Our watch.
 es still showed three minutes
 before 2 and we sat hack. -.
 Both of US were filled with
 mlxed hope and worry. -.
 What ie something had gone
 wrOiig with the tPnnsnittteF?
 .. What tf some minor cd.
 iustincnt had been neglected
 and WATIt's test should prove
 M failure, Or what ff tho
 stations radius was only a few
 smiles? .... We sat there
 thinking.
 We fiddled around c bit with tho receiver, wondering if something there might be wrong. An interchange of worried glances and Miit startod tho car and wo headed down into the center of Naugatuek WATR'B vice. president got out to phone back to tho studios and was just across the street in n lunch. h.cart when heard the un. mistakabio sound Of c carrier wave aepo.. arS% sbo 'ssslSs' ssrsss and M.t sSs eaSe racing back, Just in timo to hear Harold Thomas' unHurried voieo saying quite calmly, "rhis is WATIt, "fh0 Voice of Watorpury', broa dcasting its first test program" There it WAS, on the air. Wn. terbury's own station, m enterprise that had apparently met lnsur. mountabl0 obstacles tlm0 after time. Waterbury was on tho
 Just as Mir Thomas intro.
 duCed Jimmy COlgan, pianist,
 as sVAJIt's nrst entertainer, we
 started the car and headed
 down the Bethany road. ...
 As we were racing along,
 there came through thc loud.
 speaker clearly and with great
 volume the notes of "All ] DO
 Is Dream or YOu". played by