Evening star., 1947-09-21
By Horriet Griffiths

lnefe is a sensitive Ilnger on Cne
pulse of Washington in a compact
little Office at 1922 M street NV.
A traffic accident, a snowstorm or
a big attraction at the Water Gate
whatever 1t Is, the dispatcher's
Office of the Capital Transit Co.'S
transportation department is sizing
it up.
Keeping the transit lines moving,
untangling the snarls and getting
buses and streetcars on the spot
when and where they are needed
most is a round-the-clock and
highly systematized operation.
The dispatcher's Office Is its focal
point. To it come all reports of ir-
regularities and from it are trans
mitted all instructions to the trans
portation forces.
Has Two-Way Radio.
Installed there are the company's
own two-way radio station. WQHA:
the Fire and Police Department
radios, eheadway recorder" a
power trouble signal and, OF course,
TELEPHONES a+,@, .-@ ~" =
This is what happened last
December 81 when a heavy snow
storm fell on Washington:
About II am. the transportation
department which keeps in touch
with the Weather Bureau, notified
the dispatcher's Office snow was ex-
pected to begin falling at noon, con-
tinue until the morning of January
2 and cover the ground from to 4
inches deep.
The dispatcher's Office set in mo-
ton a well-laid plan. The COM
pany's bulky "snow. book" compiled
every fall, details the part each
transportation man is to play when
the snow alarm comes. Within six
minutes, all bus divisions had been
notified and instructed to check
sand trucks.
500 Men Fight Snow.
The snow started at lis pm, the
dispatcher's report for that day re-
cords, and the temperature was 81
degrees. Emergency trucks were
ordered to light all burners in their
sections at 2:30 pm. Sand-sprink-
ling facilities were modified, and
10-wheel trucks ordered held in
readiness.
That was the beginning Of battle
waged by 900 men, % snow-sweepers
and % sand trucks. Ice-cutters were
another weapon in the fight to keep
the lines moving until the storm
abated early January 2.
At times like this, key transporta-
ton men, such as Ernest E. Boyd,
superintendent of transportation
and Chief Dispatcher Albert K.
Baker, may go without sleep for
days. The start OF snow or sleet
is the signal for mobilizing every
available man, no matter what the
hour.
Headway Is Clocked.
The "headway recorder" tapes the
time that streetcars pass any one
of 40 contact points in the transit
system. If no little red mark Is
recorded on a particular line at the
proper headway interval, the dis
patcher's Office knows something
has happened.
If the delay continues more than
a few minutes, an inspector is dis
patched to the location. In many
cases, all inspector Is on his way
to the scene before the telephone
report from the trainman Is re-
ceived.
Fire and police radio reports are
another means of anticipating and
acting to alleviate transit tie-ups
before they are long under way.
Mr.. Boyd has an impressive store
of information about such things as
what artist is likely to draw the
largest crowds to Water Gate con-
cert, how long it takes the fans to
vacate the ball park and the en-
ployment hours at every large Gov
ernment department.
$4,000 See Concert.
When DR.. Hans Kinder con-
Quoted the National Symphony Or
chestra at the Water Gate last
season, the transportation journal
records, a crowd of $4,000 people
turned out and 81 extra buses were
sent. A future Kinder concert,
therefore, will mean an extra large
transit load. so far as the company
is concerned. So will a Lily Pons
concert.
I'VE try to profit by past ex-
perience," Mr.. Boyd says, 80 every
bit of pertinent information is rec
orded in our daily journal for future
reference"
The attendance figure at the last
Fourth of July celebration on the
Washington Monument grounds is,
Mr. Boyd admits, rather vague, hav-
ing been arrived at by averaging the
estimates of three Washington news
papers. But he knows definitely the