THE

SHANGHAI TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

UR local Telephone Exchange, situated in the Szechuen Road, was first started in 1881. It was then worked under the name of the Oriental Telephone Company, whose head-quarters are in London, and of which the present China and Japan Telephone Company, Limited, is a branch, the Great Northern Telegraph Company being the agents. The Oriental Telephone Company has also Exchanges in India, Australia, New Zealand, the Straits, and Ceylon. The Company had to contend at the outset with a strong local opposition here; and so keen was the competition between the opposing aspirants for public favour that the annual subscription, which was originally fixed at $150, dropped in a short time to the low figure of $50. Some six months after starting, the Oriental Telephone Company bought out the opposition, thus becoming sole masters of the field; but the subscription was not altered till the 26th May 1886, when it was made Tls. 50.

In 1885 the Company spent no less a sum than $2,500 in increasing the efficiency of the service, which had previously not been satisfactory, as up to that time it had been worked on the "Law system," by which several subscribers conversed over the same line, each one being able to hear what the other said. It was therefore considered expedient to put up new lines, and now each subscriber has a separate, insulated wire from the Exchange to whatever office in telephonic connection he wishes to communicate with; so that his secret breathings to friends at a distance cannot be heard by his enemies, or be made use of to his detriment. The merits and advantages of the Telephone service in Shanghai need no eulogy from us, as they are obvious to all who know anything of the matter; but for the information of the general public we give a few of the advantages additional to the ordinary one of being able to communicate on business matters with so many places in the Settlements, either by day or night.

In case of burglary, or visits from midnight prowlers, who shun the light because their deeds are evil, a subscriber is not only able to ring up the Central Police Station, but he can, by conveying a request by telephone to the operator at the Exchange, be placed at once in direct communication with Police Station nearest to his domicile, whether in the English or American Settlement. He can also receive, gratis, the correct time daily, as communicated by wire to the Exchange from the Observatory at Siccawei. In the summer months he can, if he ask for it, have the dulcet strains of the Town Band telephoned to his house or office free of expense; and by paying a small additional sum he can have Pony crown receivers fitted above his head, so that while reclining gracefully on his sofa, reading, he can enjoy at the same time the soul-subduing music of the Band, without having the trouble of holding up the receivers. If his house should, unhappily, catch fire, by calling the Exchange and giving the operator the locality, every Fire and Police Station in the various Settlements can be warned in a few seconds; and, finally, should a serious accident happen to himself or any

of his family (accidents, as everybody knows, will occur even in the best regulated families), or any member thereof be taken suddenly ill, every doctor in the Settlements can be called up; so that even if, say, four or five of the faculty happened to be out at the time, he is still bound to get into direct communication with some medico in a very brief space of time.

The subscribers at present number 223. The Company started with about 25 in 1881. In 1882, the opposition having been disposed of, the number reached 65. On the 30th June 1883, the number of subscribers was 72; on 30th June 1884 it reached 84; and on the same date in 1885 it had gone up to 130. It will thus be seen that, as time goes on, the Exchange becomes more and more appreciated, as it deserves to be. Formerly, before the "Law system" was superseded, when one fellow could hear conversations not intended for his particular "auditorium," complaints from subscribers were perpetual; now they do not average more than a couple per week. The number of calls which the operators at the Exchange have to attend to, both by day and night, average monthly the very large number of 16,000, or more than 500 per diem. Three Chinese operators attend to the calls. The man who attends to the night calls puts a switch across to where he sleeps, in an adjoining room, so that whenever a "drop" falls on the switch-board-the signal that a subscriber wants to have a "confab" with somebody-a strong local battery is put into circuit, causing an electric bell to ring close to the operator's head, which instantly rouses him up. We suppose he sometimes pours celestial maledictions on the subscriber's head who awakes him from a pleasant dream. We fancy we should-"curses not loud but deep." An average Native staff of fifteen is kept for both outdoor and indoor work, but when new constructions are in progress a larger number is required. The operators, who must, of course, know English, have to be paid highly.

The Oriental Telephone Company has acquired all the rights of using the patents of the Edison and Bell Companies (now the United Telephone Company) in any part of the world. Our local Company holds three Edison's and two Bell's patents, as well as the Gowerbell Telephone patent, granted to the Consolidated Telephone Construction and Maintenance Company.

The switch-board at the Exchange is well worth inspecting. On this board all the various subscribers' wires, almost as "thick as autumnal leaves in Vallombrosa," converge and find a resting-place. Each subscriber's line, leading from his house or office to the Exchange, is earthed at both ends to complete the circuit. On the switch-board is an annunciator drop for each subscriber,—that is to say, electro-magnets, with plates of brass in front, which conceal the numbers underneath until an electric current, traversing the magnet, releases the plate, which drops and discloses the number of the subscriber calling. Corresponding to these drops there is an equal number of holes, all numbered, and there are 40 plugs for making connections. These plugs consist of two pieces of brass which fit in the holes and are joined together by a flexible wire insulated with silk. When a subscriber rings his magnet bell he sends an electric current through the electro-magnet appropriated to him at the Exchange, causing the drop in front of his number there to fall. The operator then at once shoves a plug into, say, hole No. 20, which puts that line into connection with the Exchange instrument and disconnects it from the earth. He then calls out "Hello!" when the person at No. 20 may say, "No. 50." The operator then puts the plug at the

THE SHANGHAI TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

43

other end into No. 50, which disconnects that from the earth and makes a complete line from No. 20 to 50. At the same time he depresses a key and gives a couple of turns to the magnet, which rings No. 50 bell. No. 50 then turns the handle of the magnet, which rings No. 20 bell, indicating that No. 50 is ready to have a palaver with him. They then proceed to business, receivers in hand and placed against the organ of hearing. Having finished their "confab" they restore the receivers to their original position and give a couple of turns to the handle of their magnets. In the meantime the operator, having pulled over a small lever, causes another drop at the bottom of the switch-board to fall, thereby indicating that they have finished speaking, and he then immediately pulls the two plugs out, the same process being gone through, ad infinitum, with other subscribers. There are frequently as many as 30 or 40 people talking at the time, separate plugs being, of course, used for each pair.

The time signal is worked in the following manner:-The current, having been sent along the line from the Observatory at Siccawei, passes through the Exchange, thereby causing a couple of drops to fall. Immediately this occurs, a local circuit is put in which passes through an electric-magnet, which in turn draws up an armature and releases the hammer of a large gong, causing the hammer to drop. Close under the gong is an ordinary microphone transmitter. This is connected to a brass plate, from which there are about 80 plugs, these being inserted into the different numbers of the subscribers who have applied for the time. A few seconds before 12 o'clock they unhook their receivers, through which they can hear, to a fraction of a second, the correct time.

THE AQUARIUS COMPANY'S STEAM FACTORY AND

WATER DISTILLERY.

HE spacious and complete establishment of this Company, which in June 1893 commenced to furnish the public of Shanghai with pure water, both still and sparkling, for the table, under the registered trade-mark of "Aquarius," is assuredly one of the most perfectly equipped establishments to be found in any part of the world, consisting of five large buildings subdivided into Boiler-house, Engineers Work Shop, Engine Room, Distilling, Room, Aërating and Bottling Godown, Storage Loft for Distilled Water on upper-floo Laboratory, Chemical Room on upper-floor, Storage Godowns for manufactures, Cork and Label Rooms, Bottle Godown, Office and Managers Dwelling House. Its site, at the junction of the Seward Road extension with the Broadway, is admirably suited for the purpose, well removed from the contaminating odours and contact of Chinese houses, yet sufficiently near the Settlement for the speedy distribution of the waters from the Central Depôt of the Company at No. 4 Foochow Road. The buildings are well in keeping with the very utilitarian character of the work carried on inside, and are solid brick structures, with massive timber fittings inside. The factory is neat in exterior and substantial in nature, and gives an agreeable air of manufacturing progress and busy life to the neighbourhood. The various processes of distillation, aëration, bottling, and wiring are conducted in different departments of the same spacious, airy, commodious, and well-lighted buildings. A brief description of the works may usefully preface an attempt to make known the process of treating the Waterworks water-first, to render it absolutely pure and fit for drinking, and then to charge it with gas. Steam is supplied by two very fine Cornish steel boilers, each working up to 90 lbs. pressure per square inch, and having an aggregate of 60 horse-power. The motive power is furnished by a horizontal tube-girder engine of the Ryder type, capable of working up to 34 h.-p.; it is from one of the best engineering firms in London. The steam-pump used for pumping the water from the Aquarius Company's large covered reservoir (containing 25,000 gallons of the Water-Works Company's Water) is of the double cylinder rotative pattern, and is furnished with 6 gun-metal plungers. The most interesting portion of the machinery is that in the distilling room. This apparatus, which is the latest patent distilling process, is that known as the "Improved Patent Treble Distilling Fresh Water Apparatus." It is one of the most complicated and perfect pieces of machinery yet introduced to Shanghai, and is the first of its pattern ever made. The distilling plant, is capable of turning out over 3,500 gallons of absolutely pure water per diem. It consists of three large and four small evaporators, filled with innumerable pipes of block-tin, through which the water passes in the form of steam. Ordinary water, generally speaking, looks pretty well till one has seen it going through the searching and cleansing process in these evaporators, and sees the marvellously bright, clear, silver-spark

THE AQUARIUS COMPANY'S STEAM FACTORY AND WATER DISTILLERY.

45

ling liquid that passes out through the pipes of the distillers into the purified receiving tanks in the upper portion of the building. The supply of water in the distilling apparatus is indicated by duplicate regulators attached to each of the large evaporators. The large reservoir is constructed of concrete and brick, heavily lined with Portland cement, and roofed in. The water from the Waterworks is taken in through a standard hydrant. Once the water has gone through the process of distillation, it passes through pipes made of block-tin only, so as to ensure absolute freedom from contamination. The extensive storage tanks for the distilled water are kept in the upper portion of the building, and, while most effectually ventilated, are most carefully covered in from all dust. They are constructed of the best Bangor slate, imported from England, and the finest quality Portland cement. All the conduit pipes, and in fact every pipe through which the Aquarius water passes, are either made of copper, heavily lined with block tin, or consist entirely of the latter metal, by which all chance of injurious metallic particles finding their way into the water is avoided. Having said so much about the purifying apparatus, we may now briefly describe the aërating process. Nothing, down to the smallest detail, has been omitted to produce water absolutely pure, and the perfect cleanliness and order of the Aquarius establishment speak volumes for the forethought and care exercised in its planning and arrangement. The distilled water is passed down from the storage tanks into the aërating apparatus, where it is mixed with the carbon dioxide gas which is generated in improved. chambers. The important parts of the machinery are duplicated, so that a breakdown of one need not stop the work.

Before entering the aërating machine, the gas is filtered through a new pattern gas filter. Once the water is charged with the gas the rest of the work is simple and is done. automatically by two steam-bottling machines, from which the bottle is ejected filled, corked, and ready for wiring. The latter operation can also be performed by machinery instead. of by the usual hand method. The greatest attention is given to the washing operations. The bottles are first steeped in ordinary Waterworks water for twenty-four hours, after which they are again washed by very effective revolving machinery in hot water, and brushed, after which they are fixed on gun-metal plungers, through which a strong spray of distilled water is ejected, washing all traces of the ordinary water out of the bottles. The arrangements for making sweetened waters are very perfect; the various kinds of syrups, for lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, being contained in large covered porcelain jars fitted with silver taps. Only the purest chemicals are used in the manufacture of the syrups, which is carried on in a spotlessly clean laboratory, upstairs, and it is only entered by the manager of the works, who alone has anything to do with this portion of the manufactures. The Chinese staff have nothing whatever to do with the manipulation of the Company's products-a precaution that will be properly appreciated by everyone who knows how oblivious the Natives are about such trifles as cleanliness or careful handling. Everything about the factory is beautifully clean and fresh. The flooring of the main building is of solid concrete and cement, sloping to the four corners so that it can be washed down daily, and the blessing of such a state of things will at once appeal to those who live in a country like this, where dirt and stenches are the ordinary accompaniments of life. The public may rely with confidence upon the purity of the waters sent out by this Company, as the Factory