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Halifax Disaster Record Office
Chronicle Building
Halifax, N. S.

Journal
February 3, 1918

"SERVICE FIRST" WAS THE ORDER.
Good Work Done by Telephone Companies During the Halifax Disaster.

(From Telephone Topics, Boston.)
"Service First" was never more clearly demonstrated than during the Halifax disaster. On Saturday, December 8, the Associated Press asked Commercial Manager McDonald of the American Company for a telephone line from Boston to Halifax to use for telegraph purposes. Toll Line Engineer Healey of our company was assigned to the job. A line from Boston to Truro, N. S., was first tested, then the line from Truro to Halifax was tested. This wire was found to be working very poorly, owing to sleet storm trouble. The co-operation of all forces enabled us to deliver the goods and furnish a line as asked. L. J. Malone, a Morse supervisor, arranged to have the wire set, and P. J. Bell, division toll wire chief of the State of Maine, took up with General Manager Frazer of the New Brunswick Company the matter of arranging with the Maritime Telephone Company at Halifax to extend a wire from St. John. The St. John Company plant force and the Western Union Telegraph force at St. John, working in conjunction, supervised and operated the repeaters.
The first request was received at 12.30 p.m. At four o'clock a line was set up to St. John, a telegraph operator was secured, and shortly after the line was extended from St. John to a temporary station at the Halifax central office. At 7.35 p.m., the Associated Press were able to send 5000 words over the wire. The spirit of co-operation between the various companies and the excellent work of Toll Line Engineer Healey and his force were responsible for the service rendered, and many favorable comments from the newspapers were made on the excellent manner in which this force came through with the job.
The wire here referred to was run into The Morning Chronicle Office by the Maritime Telephone Company and was operated direct with Boston for a week or more by M. L. Backer, Day Operator of the Canadian Press.