Telephony, August 24, 1912, pages 246-247:
Automatic Telephone and Enunciator Carnival Features
Chicago Independent Telephone Company Scores Beat on Chicago Bell in Installation of Its Service on Government Pier, off Chicago's Water Front, During Water Carnival--Another Chicago Product, the Enunciator, Plays Prominent Part
The automatic telephone, operated in Chicago by the Illinois Telephone & Telegraph Co., and the automatic enunciator, manufactured in the same city by the Automatic Enunciator Co., played prominent parts in a water carnival held on the lake front last week and this in that city. The carnival, which was held under the auspices of the Associated Yacht and Power Boat Clubs of America, took place off the government pier. It opened August 10 and, due to inclement weather, was not closed until August 20.
One of the features of the meet was an international yacht race between the Patricia, of Toronto, Canada, which claimed the championship of the Great Lakes, and the yacht, Michicago, which was built specially for the race by a syndicate of Chicago men.
Owing to the international character thus given the carnival, permission was obtained to use the government pier for the accommodation of spectators and seats for many thousands were placed upon the pier, which is about a half mile from the shore. The carnival program included aquatic sports of all kinds, such as sailing, swimming, power boating, etc.
Two entertainments were given each day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, and the attendance averaged about 10,000 people at each exhibition. The international yacht race was sailed on four days. The Michicago won the first race; the Patricia the following three and the championship. Hydroplane races attracted considerable attention as boats which were capable of making 60 miles per hour were entered. On account of rough water this speed was not attained in the races, although very fast time was made.
Exhibitions were given by fire boats of the Chicago fire department and many saw for the first time the operation of these guardians of Chicago's water front.
Another feature which was greatly enjoyed were the drills given by a picked crew from one of the government's life saving stations. Demonstrations were given of the shooting of the life line, the use of the breeches buoy, capsizing and righting the life boat, etc. The Naval Reserves of the states bordering on Lake Michigan were present at the carnival and gave exhibitions at each session. Fireworks were a feature of all evening exhibitions.
With the thousands of spectators upon the pier afternoon and evening, communication with the mainland was quite essential. The Illinois Telephone & Telegraph Co. caught the Chicago (Bell) Telephone Co. napping and installed the only telephone service on the pier. In one of the illustrations is shown the press stand, with the wires of the Illinois company leading to it.
Because of the peculiar arrangement of the grand stand on the government pier, which reached almost a thousand feet north and south from the judges' station, it was imperative that some means be adopted for giving information to the people, who would have been unable to appreciate the finer points without the information necessary to add real interest to the entertainment. This was accomplished by use of the automatic enunciator, which was described in a recent issue of Telephony. An installation of 72 reproducers was made, the stations being located at intervals of forty feet along the half mile of grandstands. Some of the enunciators are to be seen both at the left and right of the large illustration.
Detailed information as to the ownership, history, record and dimensions of the craft engaging in the carnival was given directly to the audience, just as if Commodore Wm. Hale Thompson, who of course knew all about the racing, was sitting beside each person and explaining each movement as it took place. During lulls, between races, the immense audiences were entertained with popular music. This was accomplished by simply throwing a switch, which disconnected the voice transmitter and connected the music transmitter of the Multa Musola.
The Illinois Telephone & Telegraph Co. did some clever advertising on the automatic enunciator and took the opportunity to give the public some interesting facts about automatic telephone service in Chicago and in other cities.
Moody made addresses through the automatic enunciator, this being the first time such a thing has been done. The speaker's position was on the steam yacht Marigold, anchored five hundred feet from the grand stand, so that the speakers were in full view of the entire audience.
The topic of the speeches was "The Chicago Plan," dealing with the tremendous plan of the late Daniel H. Burnham for beautifying Chicago, the principal feature of which will be improvements along the lake front. It was a novel experience for the speakers to be able to talk in an ordinary conversational tone and to have their voices carried along a grand stand one half mile long. At each enunciator station their voices were reproduced full, rich and clear and amplified several times in volume.
The enterprise displayed in the installation of the Independent telephone lines on the pier and of the enunciators reflects great credit upon H. D. Stroud, traffic manager of the Illinois Telephone & Telegraph Co., and Herman Kipper, of the Automatic Enunciator Co.
