58 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



tightly stretched and separated by a space of two centimeters, are 

 hooked together so that the clearance between them is reduced 

 to one centimeter, they exert such a considerable pull on the 

 connecting plate that the electrical contacts brought about are as 

 perfect and permanent as those due to binding screws. The 

 connector is shown in fig. 9. A number of spare vertical wires 

 is kept in reserve, by means of which any two of the horizontals 

 can be connected together, or any one 

 of them to earth, to the testing-room, 

 or to a speaking instrument. A cross- 

 connecting board on this system for 800 



C 



^ *) lines occupies, including the lightning- 

 / guard board, 5*6 meters in length and 



2 '4 in height. Reverting to fig. 8, the 

 transmitter shown is of a type used a 

 good deal in Bavaria. The diaphragm 

 is of wood, backed by a carbon plate. 



To the back of the box are fixed two separate blocks of carbon, 

 each block containing four slanting holes in which a corresponding 

 number of carbon pencils lie loosely with their lower ends resting 

 against the carbon diaphragm plate. This plate is then inter- 

 mediate between the two blocks, which receive the transmitter 

 battery wires. The translators employed consist of primary and 

 secondary bobbins of equal resistance 200 ohms wound on a 

 closed magnetic circuit ring. They are made by Mr. F. Reiner, 

 Munich. The subscribers, both in Munich and Nuremberg, are 

 divided between two principal switch-rooms, and in each town 

 the subscribers' list numbers are preceded by a switch-room 

 number, which must be mentioned without fail by the caller, 

 together with the list number and name. Called subscribers are 

 rung by the operator, and callers are required to stand with phone 

 to ear until the reply is forthcoming. Talkers are not instructed 

 to say ' please answer ' after every remark, as in the Imperial Post 

 Office system, but on bringing a conversation to an end they are 

 expected to call out ' finished ! ' prior to ringing off. This last 

 signal has nothing to differentiate it from a ring through, so that the 

 Bavarian subscribers, in common with all others on the Continent, 

 cannot leave their instruments during a talk. During a thunder- 



