Read Online Cold April by Phyllis A. Humphrey - Free Book Online
Authors: Phyllis A. Humphrey
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Kathleen. “That ‘round pipe,’ as you called it, is a pneumatic tube which connects this office with the Marconi room on the boat deck. When it gets there, the wireless operator will take the form out of the cylinder, read the message and send it via Morse Code.”
Richard decided more explanation was required. “It’s like the post. When the message arrives in London, they will put the words on paper and deliver it to your aunts just like a letter.”
Kathleen shook her head. “But how does it get to the room upstairs?”
Richard chuckled. She simply wanted to know why someone didn’t carry it to the wireless room by hand. He opened his mouth to answer, but the young man spoke first.
“ It’s easier to send it by the tube, and faster, as well.”
“ But where does the tube go?” Kathleen asked.
“ To the Marconi room up on the Boat Deck.”
“ Can I see it come out of the tube?”
The young man exchanged glances with Richard. “Well, perhaps.”
Richard set Kathleen on her feet. “May we go there?”
“ Not supposed to bother the wireless operators, but, seeing it’s a beautiful little girl wants to know ...” He paused and looked from Kathleen to Richard. “On the Boat Deck, behind the bridge, there’s a doorway to a set of rooms. I believe there’s a sign. Can’t miss it.”
Back in the elevator, they rose to A Deck and climbed the Grand Staircase to the Boat Deck. Kathleen pointed to the wooden lifeboats hanging in rows along the sides of the super-structure. “What do they use the little boats for?”
Richard thought for a long moment. First he considered the fact that they were lifeboats, meant to save lives, were the ship to founder. Yet he didn’t want to tell that to a child, especially since this particular ship had been deemed “unsinkable” in the press. “They’re used if people have to leave the ship and there is no dock close by.”
The explanation seemed to satisfy her. Consulting the map Beth had given him, Richard led the way back to the entrance hall and entered a corridor where a door marked “Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company” caught his eye. He opened it cautiously.
A young man in uniform who sat at a desk stopped what he was doing to welcome them inside. “Not s’posed to have visitors up here, but they haven’t posted the ‘No Admittance’ sign as yet.”
“ We don’t want to interfere, but my daughter, Kathleen, has just sent a telegram to her aunts in London and would like to know how it got from the purser’s office up here.” He glanced around at the large desk with strange instruments and the walls containing still more unrecognizable items as well as several clocks showing different times.
“ No need to apologize. I’m happy to show your little girl how it works.” He rose from his chair and went to the side wall where a similar pneumatic tube was fastened. Removing the cylinder, he showed it to Kathleen.
“ See, here’s your message, and now I will put it into Morse code and send it off. Come with me.”
He opened a door at the side and they entered another small windowless room, also filled with various equipment. The operator sat in a chair and struck a key on a small box, sending out a series of high tapping sounds. “There,” he said finally. “All done. Your message is on its way.”
“ But I want to see it,” Kathleen said.
“ You can’t see that one, but I’ll show you one we’ve received so you may see what it will look like.” He took another form from the desk and handed it to her. Kathleen ran her fingers over the surface, feeling the printed tape that contained the words. She handed it back and they returned to the main room.
“ I like explaining the procedure,” the operator said, “and we’re not busy just now. The nights are better for sending messages long distances. Radio waves can bounce around better when there’s no sun heating the air.”
Another young man came out of an adjoining door. As if
Richard decided more explanation was required. “It’s like the post. When the message arrives in London, they will put the words on paper and deliver it to your aunts just like a letter.”
Kathleen shook her head. “But how does it get to the room upstairs?”
Richard chuckled. She simply wanted to know why someone didn’t carry it to the wireless room by hand. He opened his mouth to answer, but the young man spoke first.
“ It’s easier to send it by the tube, and faster, as well.”
“ But where does the tube go?” Kathleen asked.
“ To the Marconi room up on the Boat Deck.”
“ Can I see it come out of the tube?”
The young man exchanged glances with Richard. “Well, perhaps.”
Richard set Kathleen on her feet. “May we go there?”
“ Not supposed to bother the wireless operators, but, seeing it’s a beautiful little girl wants to know ...” He paused and looked from Kathleen to Richard. “On the Boat Deck, behind the bridge, there’s a doorway to a set of rooms. I believe there’s a sign. Can’t miss it.”
Back in the elevator, they rose to A Deck and climbed the Grand Staircase to the Boat Deck. Kathleen pointed to the wooden lifeboats hanging in rows along the sides of the super-structure. “What do they use the little boats for?”
Richard thought for a long moment. First he considered the fact that they were lifeboats, meant to save lives, were the ship to founder. Yet he didn’t want to tell that to a child, especially since this particular ship had been deemed “unsinkable” in the press. “They’re used if people have to leave the ship and there is no dock close by.”
The explanation seemed to satisfy her. Consulting the map Beth had given him, Richard led the way back to the entrance hall and entered a corridor where a door marked “Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company” caught his eye. He opened it cautiously.
A young man in uniform who sat at a desk stopped what he was doing to welcome them inside. “Not s’posed to have visitors up here, but they haven’t posted the ‘No Admittance’ sign as yet.”
“ We don’t want to interfere, but my daughter, Kathleen, has just sent a telegram to her aunts in London and would like to know how it got from the purser’s office up here.” He glanced around at the large desk with strange instruments and the walls containing still more unrecognizable items as well as several clocks showing different times.
“ No need to apologize. I’m happy to show your little girl how it works.” He rose from his chair and went to the side wall where a similar pneumatic tube was fastened. Removing the cylinder, he showed it to Kathleen.
“ See, here’s your message, and now I will put it into Morse code and send it off. Come with me.”
He opened a door at the side and they entered another small windowless room, also filled with various equipment. The operator sat in a chair and struck a key on a small box, sending out a series of high tapping sounds. “There,” he said finally. “All done. Your message is on its way.”
“ But I want to see it,” Kathleen said.
“ You can’t see that one, but I’ll show you one we’ve received so you may see what it will look like.” He took another form from the desk and handed it to her. Kathleen ran her fingers over the surface, feeling the printed tape that contained the words. She handed it back and they returned to the main room.
“ I like explaining the procedure,” the operator said, “and we’re not busy just now. The nights are better for sending messages long distances. Radio waves can bounce around better when there’s no sun heating the air.”
Another young man came out of an adjoining door. As if
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