Election results used to be reported by lights from the tallest building in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI – In the days before radio or television, The Cincinnati Enquirer hit upon a novel way of reporting election results as fast as possible.

It signaled them with a searchlight from the top of the tallest building in the city.

Starting in 1913, when the Union Central Life Insurance Building (now the PNC Tower) was built, The Enquirer arranged to have a searchlight beamed from the observation tower of what was the fifth-tallest building in the world at the time so it could be seen from just about anywhere in the city.

“From the cloud-piercing pinnacle will rise a great, white shaft of light, from a powerful marine searchlight” that would signal the early results and the eventual winner, The Enquirer reported. Enquirer readers could find the code in the newspaper.

For the mayoral contest in 1913, depending on which candidate was leading, the light would swing either east to west or west to east. And when the result was known, colored lights would signal the winner.

For the 1920 election between presidential hopefuls Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox, both from Ohio, the initial H or C would flash for 30-second intervals. The other races in that election were signaled by flashing red or green lights.

This method of communication was especially important during the Spanish influenza pandemic in 1918, when the Cincinnati Board of Health ordered that there be no public gatherings, including at bulletin boards to read election results.

Thanks to Jay Gilbert for sharing this bit of history about The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the Paste BN Network.