. Bell telephone magazine . were practically no women work-ing in or near the riot area except tele-phone operators, and virtually all ofthese women were on duty. There wereoffices located on the periphery as wellas one office directly in the center of thecurfew area. Operators had to travel toand from work on their own, since pro-tection by poUce or other governmentagencies was unavailable. Some opera-tors were escorted by fathers, brothers,husbands and boy friends, while otherswent to and from their offices, even afterdark, unescorted. These were womenwho did this. In one office, 145
. Bell telephone magazine . were practically no women work-ing in or near the riot area except tele-phone operators, and virtually all ofthese women were on duty. There wereoffices located on the periphery as wellas one office directly in the center of thecurfew area. Operators had to travel toand from work on their own, since pro-tection by poUce or other governmentagencies was unavailable. Some opera-tors were escorted by fathers, brothers,husbands and boy friends, while otherswent to and from their offices, even afterdark, unescorted. These were womenwho did this. In one office, 145 out of a force of 195lived in the area where destioiction wasgreatest. Their concern for their homesand loved ones was great, but they cameto work. Other operators had to passthrough this hazardous locality to get toand from their jobs. In another calamity, when disastrousHurricane Betsy struck Florida and theGulf Coast, Louisiana bore the brunt ofher destruction. The towns to the southof New Orleans where telephone ex- 40. Information operator works by portable electric lii>ht during blackout. changes are maintained took a tremen-dous lashing from the winds and of the employees living in theseareas had their homes destroyed orseverely damaged. Despite this, they con-tinued to work. Operators literally riskedtheir lives many times in getting to theiroffices. They had to wade through floodwaters, avoid live wires, dodge fallingtrees, but in spite of everything they gotin to handle the deluge of calls that cameto their switchboards. In the blackout emergency in theNortheast, operators worked long hoursunder trying conditions handling theheavy surge of calls. Time and timeagain they answered signals that turnedout to be emergency calls. They gavereassurance to the frightened elderly, thefrantic housewife, and countless othersduring the power failure. The volume ofcoin telephone calls was extremelyheavy. Many users could not see to dialand had to ask the operator to
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