Yes indeed you could hear the bell (not the puny sound at the end of a line). I believe the bureau in which I worked (Dallas) had 14 Teletypes arranged in an oval around an oblong desk. Wes Leatherock snipped-for-privacy@aol.com snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com
I don't know where there would be the physical capoability to patch together AP, UP and INS wires. (INS was a third service then and had not yet been acquired by UP.) Wes Leatherock snipped-for-privacy@aol.com snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com
Well, this IS a telcom forum. It would be technically trivial to do so at the wire center. And then and now, there are pool arrangements. I can't say that's what happened; it's also possible that they ran the same tape, started at the same time.
That's only when the Model 19 set was in "Keyboard-Tape" mode, so that the keyboard ran the signal generator as well as the punch. (Which is necessary if you want to get local copy on the printer of what you are punching) If you put the set in "Tape" mode then the keyboard runs the punch alone, punching "blind", and can go considerably faster than the signal generator. There are also keyboard perforators that don't do anything else, and they can run pretty fast.
You must be referring to something other than the first report Japan was going to surrender. Perhaps the actual signing aboard the battleship. The "flash" message in such a case is really only ceremonious. As you say, tying the circuits together at the telegraph testboard somewhere is physically trivial. But the testboard isn't going to do it without an order--perhaps three orders--and the paperwork (whether actually on paper of simply oral) is certainly non-trivial and would take some time, including the consent of all three bitter competitors, and their agreement as to what text would be transmitted. Almost certainly would require review by the lawyers, too. I could offer the story of the "real" flash when Japan announced it would surrender, but I think it may be one of several such tales and nothing near as neat as you describe. All breaking news is messy at first, at least all really breaking real news. Wes Leatherock snipped-for-privacy@aol.com snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com
In the ap[plications I am familiar with, the copy was not printed when the tape was punched. If the tape was actually transmitted, that was the printed copy. Wes Leatherock snipped-for-privacy@aol.com snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com
Wasn't this message received at the RCA maritime station in San Francisco? RCA had been operating coast stations in the Point Reyes area (originated by Marconi, but taken over by the U.S. government from the Italians after World War I and then sold to RCA), with a control point and personnel in San Francisco at Mission and South Van Ness Avenue I believe.
Ah, I found it. Here is a web page about the station and the surrender:
Just wanted to jump in here and say "THANKS" for helping me to solve a radio mystery! On the NPR quiz show, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" -- which originates from WBEZ in Chicago -- the program introduction features some strange radio whistling noises (which sound like they're coming from an old super-regenerative receiver!), and then the letters "EBCD" sent in Morse Code at about 8 wpm. I had absolutely no clue what "EBCD" stood for, so I Googled it, and I was immediately directed to your site. I now understand that "EBCD" was a punch card (or perhaps a punch tape?) coding format used to drive early-generation computers or teleprinters. As to why WBEZ is using "EBCD" as a baffling Morse Code introduction to their quiz program, I have absolutely no clue. But I'm glad the mystery has been solved anyway!
TNX es VY 73! (de KB1F)
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