220 BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL 



hand, it would be foolhardy to assume that any man-made structure 

 could completely withstand the fury of the elements, as typified by this 

 storm. 



Consider the circumstances. For four days rain was progressively 

 heavier. It totaled between five and ten inches at many New England 

 points. At some places more than six inches of rain fell in one day. 

 As a result large rivers were brought to flood stage and small brooks and 

 streams became raging destructive torrents. And then came the hurri- 

 cane — then the seas. Wind velocities as high as from 120 to 180 miles 

 per hour have been reported. Raging flood and tidal waters inundated 

 important sections of many communities. Our services extended over 

 the entire band of the storm and we can definitely trace the relationship 

 of high wind velocities and resultant damage. 



Another important circumstance, and bearing particularly on engi- 

 neering consideration, is that nothing like this had happened in this 

 area since the year 1815. 



Obviously, to build plant to be unyielding to the sea and to be 

 hurricane tight against such occurrences at century intervals would be 

 as unsound as to ignore them altogether. Thus a challenge is presented 

 to the engineer, taxing his best judgment. On the one hand, not failing 

 to take every reasonable precaution in the future design of the plant, 

 such as the avoidance of known exposures, the provision of alternate 

 routes, the use of emergency restoration facilities of every conceivable 

 character, adequate emergency operating routines; and on the other 

 hand, not to be led by the tragedy of the storm to recommend extreme 

 construction and operating procedures such as wholesale substitution of 

 underground for aerial plant, which would obviously not be in the 

 public interest. 



This, it seems to me, is the broad lesson that we draw from this ex- 

 perience and the challenge presented to the engineer. 



It was my good fortune to have been in the midst of the restoration 

 work. It was comforting and inspiring to see how the men and women of 

 all service agencies responded to the call, each presented with a trying 

 problem of his own but ever ready to lend helpful and efTective co- 

 operation to those in other utilities, and all motivated with the com- 

 mon objective of maximum service to the community in this period of 

 great distress. I know we in the telephone end could not have done 

 our job had we not had the help of others, including the highway and 

 other public agencies. 



The final measure of any man's work is, has it been for mankind? 

 A grateful public has put the mark of approval on the work of the men 



