=~

na. | PANAMA RAIL ROAD COMPANY.

TELEPHONE AND SIGNAL DEPARTMENT
Operation of Balboa Cargo Handling Cranes. «

~The Electrieal Division performed all work in connection with the oper-_

ation and maintenance of the thirteen electric cargo-handling cranes of the

Panama Rail Road on Balboa Pours The following tabulation shows
: ny performances:

SHIPS SHIPS -- LIGHTERS LIGHTERS CrANE Hours | CRANE Hours

MontH. LOADED. UNLOADED. |- LOADED. UNLOADED. WORKED. ELAY.
a O1 5:
: GU eas Let: 13 : 18 13 2,103 14
PANTO Usb esses 14 7 LOs=sy 7 130-2 10
>. September... eet (es Os 8 11 1256 6%
October. .... 9 eA: e383 27 3,460 15%.
~~ November... 14° 14 13 45 4,590 ; 1334
December... 10 11 22 30 rome 6%
LOLGe <= ;
January..... 12 16 20 35S" 3,847. - 84
February.... 15 12 , 29 32 X50,06% : 5
March...... 12, Sealy 16 55 Sed OU 13%.
BENT cae Ss Ef se 9 eal ¢ 50 2,485 6
Way Sau. es 8 — Seb 23 394 4
JUNE 2S se. 1 4. 2 6 260

peOtale cis eet lal 168 312 30,764 1038

 

3 A total of 292 vessels were loaded and 433 unloaded during the fiscal year.
Of the 108 erane-hours:delay for the entire year, 32 crane-hours were caused ©

by rain. All cranes were painted during the year, had their electrical

systems overhauled and the eight alternating current cranes were modified

so as to reduce the trolley speed from 600 to 300 feet per minute. New
ee trolleys and collecting devices were installed for all cranes.

Operation of Telephone and fecgaon System.

| The Electrical Division did all work in connection with the operation —

and maintenance of the telephone and telegraph system of the Panama
Rail Road during the fiscal year.

_- 422 telephones were installed during the fiscal year, and 284 were

~- removed, leaving 1,878 in service on June 30, 1916. During the last six

months of the fiscal year there was an average ‘of 15,165 telephone calls per

diem as determined by peg counts taken on one day each month. ‘The

average number of telephone troubles, including cases on all classes of
subscribers instruments, and all wire troubles except cables, was 13 per
diem in comparison with about 30 cases per diem for the last fiscal year.
The improvement is due to more regular a systematic inspections and to
the decreased number of long twisted pair loops that has resulted from the
construction of the new underground telephone distribution system.  —’
44.944 feet of telephone cable of all sizes were installed and 16,177 feet
- were removed during the fiscal year, leaving 468,268 feet in service at the end
of the fiscal year. On this entire length of cable there were 13 cases of
trouble during the fiscal year. One case on the trans-Isthmian cable was due
- to malicious cutting of the cable by unknown parties, and 12 cases on local
cables. Of these, two cases were due to rats gnawing through the sheath,
one to the lead boring bug, three to leaky slceves and six to unknown causes.