16 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



Havana's New Telephone Service 



On May 21st President Gomez formally 

 opened Havana's new automatic telephone 

 service, throwing a switch and putting the 

 plant into operation. Vice-President Zayas, 

 senators, the speaker of the house of repre- 

 sentatives, the mayor, connnander of the 

 army, members of the cabinet, and other 

 dignitaries were present. 



Miles of conduits have been laid, miles 

 of wire and cables spread about the city, 

 instruments installed and complicated mech- 

 anism set up in the new telephone build- 

 ing. All this has taken the time of a 

 large force of men many months. Their 

 work is not yet completed but the greater 

 part of the system has i)een installed. 

 According to the Ilarana Post, the new 

 telephones, which are automatic, work as 

 follows : 



Suppose you wan/ The Post editorial 

 rooms. No. A-26G2. You take ofif the 

 receiver to start. Then you turn your 

 attention to the circular disk which sur- 

 mounts the face of the box, just below 

 the transmitter. Around the edge are a 

 number of small disks bearing letters and 

 figures. Over these is a metal disk with 

 openings above the numbers. You insert 

 the tip of your finger in the hole over the 

 letter A and swing the disk around to 

 the right as far as it will go. The disk 

 slides back and you put your finger in 

 the hole over the Xo. 2 and pull that 

 around to the right. Then the G twice 

 and the 2 again. Result — you get The 

 Post. If they don't answer the first time, 

 the bell rings periodically until they do 

 answer or until you hang up the receiver. 

 It the line is busy you licar a slight Inizz- 



ing in your ear at regular intervals. No 

 waiting for central ; no long waiting for 

 your party. 



The stock of the company, which was 

 recently put upon the market here, was 

 quoted the same day at 45. 



New Hotel Near Havana 



A company has been formed to build a 

 large hotel and to create an attractive sum- 

 mer and winter resort on the seashore 

 about five miles from Havana, at Maria- 

 nao, which possesses perhaps the only 

 Iieach affording good safe sea bathing in 

 the city's vicinity. The Havana Yacht 

 Club has two large buildings at the beach. 

 The hotel will be built on a healthful loca- 

 tion a short distance away and will be 

 spacious and comfortable, having all mod- 

 ern conveniences. Capt. Walter Fletcher 

 Smith of the Hotel Plaza will be identified 

 with the new project. 



Means of transportation to the beach 

 have been limited to the steam road, but 

 the company owning this line (the United 

 Railways of Havana) have now converted 

 it into an electric system, and trains w-ill 

 run much more frequently. 



The Havana Flectric lines, which pass 

 through all parts of the city, have a double 

 track to the Marianao station of the new 

 trolley line. This connection will afford 

 unliuiited transportation to the beach from 

 all parts of the city and its suburbs on a 

 ten-minute schedule. 



The Luz wharves in Havana are in great 

 need of repairs. $9. ()()() is required. 



ISeach at Marianao 



