Criminal
03-28-2006, 07:43 AM
It was almost 20 years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. The unthinkable happened. Every phone in the Western Suburbs of Chicago went dead. A fire at the Exchange Center or Wire Center, in my home town of Hinsdale, killed the telephone service. And for two to three months the western burbs were without phones.
Now this was at a time when cell phones were only a novelty. Most ordinary folks never considered buying a cell phone. The only means of communications for most of us was the old fashioned wirebound phone service.
For two whole months life changed. People could not reached loved ones. Emergecies could not be "phoned in". How many people died in accidents or fires I cannot say. But I am sure we only know part of the truth even today.
Businesses changed their practices. People no longer phoned in appointments for their doctors, lawyers, hair stylists or whoever. We just walked in. People sent letters to loved ones telling them they were ok.
For those two months life returned to the turn of the century (20th century I mean). In some ways it made things more interesting. Yes we still had tv. But neighbors, dying for local gossip talked to one another. People visited friends and family members instead of calling them.
Now what caused this whole mess? Well the official reason was that a highly combustable solution used to clean the switches caught fire from a faulty electric relay. This, in turn caused a massive fire destroying the entire building.
The Wire Center of any telegphone exchange area is the nerve center where all phone lines would connect and then be connected by cable to other wire centers. In this case a huge area was affected from Naperville, north to Desplaines and as far south as Orland Park.
But as time went on rumors and urban legends were told of the real reason for the fire. One story went that it was a disgruntled ex employee fired for whatever reason set the blaze.
An even juicier rumor was that an employee (lets call him Frank) of Ameritech (now SBC) had served many years. His supervisor knew his wife from somewhere (possibly an office party). The supervisor and Frank's wife had an affair and Frank found out about it. Well Frank had a bit to drink and was pissed and yelled at his super and threatened him so the super had him fired. Frank was a bit of a lose cannot to start with and this set him over the edge. Well Frank, who had an intimite knowledge of the facilities and knew all the equipment also knew where some highly flamable cleaning solution was at.
It was not difficult for Frank to get in after night. All the other guys knew him and it did not seem odd that a recently fired guy would want to come back to say bye and collect his stuff. He did say bye and walked out but left the door open. And on a hot summer night nobody else wanted to close the door.
Frank did not go home that night. Not to his cheating wife and kids. Instead he went back in and hid into a closet and waited until the other attendents were on break. He quickly doused the switches, cables and everything with the solution. Then with a click of his lighter he let the place go up.
In the weeks and months that followed many people were questioned about the incident. Frank was on everyone's list as the most likely suspect. But Frank said he was not there. And the people who saw Frank that night said that he left. Nobody wanted to admit that they left the door open or did not check if he was really gone. And yes, there was the security camera but that too went up in flmes.
The investigators finally determined that the whole thing was an accident.
Of course its all just a story.... or is it?
We may never know!:hmm:
Now this was at a time when cell phones were only a novelty. Most ordinary folks never considered buying a cell phone. The only means of communications for most of us was the old fashioned wirebound phone service.
For two whole months life changed. People could not reached loved ones. Emergecies could not be "phoned in". How many people died in accidents or fires I cannot say. But I am sure we only know part of the truth even today.
Businesses changed their practices. People no longer phoned in appointments for their doctors, lawyers, hair stylists or whoever. We just walked in. People sent letters to loved ones telling them they were ok.
For those two months life returned to the turn of the century (20th century I mean). In some ways it made things more interesting. Yes we still had tv. But neighbors, dying for local gossip talked to one another. People visited friends and family members instead of calling them.
Now what caused this whole mess? Well the official reason was that a highly combustable solution used to clean the switches caught fire from a faulty electric relay. This, in turn caused a massive fire destroying the entire building.
The Wire Center of any telegphone exchange area is the nerve center where all phone lines would connect and then be connected by cable to other wire centers. In this case a huge area was affected from Naperville, north to Desplaines and as far south as Orland Park.
But as time went on rumors and urban legends were told of the real reason for the fire. One story went that it was a disgruntled ex employee fired for whatever reason set the blaze.
An even juicier rumor was that an employee (lets call him Frank) of Ameritech (now SBC) had served many years. His supervisor knew his wife from somewhere (possibly an office party). The supervisor and Frank's wife had an affair and Frank found out about it. Well Frank had a bit to drink and was pissed and yelled at his super and threatened him so the super had him fired. Frank was a bit of a lose cannot to start with and this set him over the edge. Well Frank, who had an intimite knowledge of the facilities and knew all the equipment also knew where some highly flamable cleaning solution was at.
It was not difficult for Frank to get in after night. All the other guys knew him and it did not seem odd that a recently fired guy would want to come back to say bye and collect his stuff. He did say bye and walked out but left the door open. And on a hot summer night nobody else wanted to close the door.
Frank did not go home that night. Not to his cheating wife and kids. Instead he went back in and hid into a closet and waited until the other attendents were on break. He quickly doused the switches, cables and everything with the solution. Then with a click of his lighter he let the place go up.
In the weeks and months that followed many people were questioned about the incident. Frank was on everyone's list as the most likely suspect. But Frank said he was not there. And the people who saw Frank that night said that he left. Nobody wanted to admit that they left the door open or did not check if he was really gone. And yes, there was the security camera but that too went up in flmes.
The investigators finally determined that the whole thing was an accident.
Of course its all just a story.... or is it?
We may never know!:hmm: