Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1936-04-03
TELEPHONE COMP ANY
HIGHLY HON0RED


The entire organization Of the
Diamond State Telephone Company
has been cited to receive the TheO-
dore N. Vail medal for conspicuous
devotion to duty and for extraOrdi-
nary labOrs in statewide restoration
of service" following the disastrous
blizzard of January % and "a, 1895.
In making this announcement re-
Gently. officials of the telephone COM
pany stated that Ambrose B. Killen,
a repair man at Dover, had received
honorable mention for his prompt
rendition OF frst-aid to a resident OF
EPVer who was suffering from loss
! of blood eauRed by a cut artery in his
wrist
The award 70 the Diamond State
organization is one Of the few group
awards made in the Bell System
since the Vail memorial fund was
established in 1921. Vail awards. it
was explained, are made to telephone
employees in recognition of out
standing acts or public services |
which conspieuOusly illustrate the
ideals of public service held by the |
late Mr.. Vail, former president Of the |
American Telephone and Telegraph |
Company.
The following citation accompanies |
the announcement Of the recognition |
given the Diamond State Company |
employees:
For conspicuous devotion to duty /
and for extraordinary labOfs in the I
statewide restoration Of service"
"The blizzard of January % and /
"a, 1885, severe in all parts of Del
aware. fell heaviest on the central
and southern parts OF the state. Sleet
and gales Frustrated practically
every open wire toll line south Of
Smyrna. 1850 poles were crippled.
IA exchanges were isolated, and local
plant badly damaged.
''The heavy snow which immediate
ly followed the sleet together with
storm Instructions. made roads im-
passable, and for over a week the
temperature held close to zero.
Before the height of the blizzard
was reached, the Diamond State or
ganization was bucking the blocked
roads towards its center. AS patrols
brought word to Dover of the extent
of the damage, it was clear that the
emergency was beyond the resources
of the Diamond State organization,
and men and trucks from Pennsyl-
vania were called for and emergency
materials ordered in wholesale.
Traffic women stayed at their
switchboaTds. many sleeping in the
rest rooms at night TO help with the
disrupted traffic Commercial en-
ployees got quick word by whatever
means available, to all subscribers
advising as to the extent Of the dam
age and the measures being taken to
correct it, and undertook to find liv-
ing accommodation for the several
hundred plant and engineering men
out over the affected area
In which accommodations were few.
"Fhe plant men, as fast as their
trucks could get through, and on
loot when the trucks were blocked.
fought the wreckage in low tenn
and high winds, regardless
IF hours and great discOmfOrts, and
when emergency service was back,
It once tackled the restoration OF
plant.
"On the Diamond State Organiza-
ION Iell the Dfunt OF the Job. II
lad fine help without which it could
lot have won through so quickly and
but on the men and wo-
men Of the Delaware organization
ay the principal responsibility, and
hey shouldered II with a spirit and
that measured up to the
lnest traditions Of the Bell System
The citation giving honorable
mention 20 Mr.. Killen states that he
vent to the aid Of man severely
mt by a revolving blade while at
empting 70 adjust an automobile fan
leit BY reason OF his vocational
Of first-aid methods the
itation continues, Mr.. Kilien was
bic to stop pr0fuse arterial hemor-
hage. probably resulting IN the saw
lg Of human life"