Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-06-27
Subterranean Telegraphy.

Subterranean Telegraphy.
The dispatches annou nee Q new sys.
tenn Of telegraph wires. the patents for
which have just been purchased by the
Western Union telegraph. It has long
been favorite theory with many that
underground lines would ultimately
take the place of aerial lines, but here.
tofore the actual practice has been far
from satisfactory. The expense was
too great; the difficulty experienced in
finding faults in the buried wires and
making repairs, and the obstacles in
the way of perfect insulation, we're
serious barriers to the successful intro
duction of subterranean telegraphy.
But of late years the German govern
ment has laid many miles of under
ground wires, and has so far perfected
the system as to demonstrate its prac-
tibility. But that which is quite prac-
tical in the densely populated countries
OF Europe, is not necessarily feasible
in the United States, with its great area
Of territory and other typographical
difficulties. The question of lay
ing wires underground has attracted
considerable attention in the large
cities where the multiplication of tele-
graph and telephone wires has made
it matter Of serious public considera-
ton. The announcement, therefore,
that reaches us from Philadelphia of
the purchase of the Brooks patents by
the Western Union company, would in
dictate that the system now announced
has the necessary elements of utility for
the country covered by the Western
Union wires, else that corporation
would hardly have paid, as alleged, the
sum of $500, 900 for the control of the
patents. Mr.. David Brooks is o prac.
tical electrician, the inventor of the
Brooks insulator and other useful elec-
trical material and telegraph apparatus.
For years Mr.. Brooks had entertained
telegraphy could be devised which
would be far superior in point of econ
omy and convenience to the " over
head" system. The object was to find
something which, placed in the iron
pipe containing the wires, would prove
impenetrable to the dampness and
moisture. Mr.. Brooks began to exper-
iment with oils. The telegraph system
he had in view was simply a number OF
small wires twenty, thirty, forty or
tfty-a little thicker than pins, all bun
died together with cotton binding, and
each one @ separate medium of COM
munication. The greatest number of
wires he contemplated putting together
in this style was fifty, to contain which
he had iron pipes made one inch and
quarter in diameter. The wires, each
one bound in its own cotton and all
huddled together in q tight netting,
were thrust into the pipe rope-fashion.
After the pipe was laid, oil was intro
duced into it at one end and allowed to
run the entire length, the source of sup
ply being an elevated vessel, always kept
full, 80 as to keep constant pressure
on the oil already in the pipe. The
first experiment with this plan was
made in West Philadelphia about two
years ago, the line being about one
mile long. Few telegraph men then be
lieved the plan practical, but the ex-
periments demonstrate that so far from
being only temporary success, it has
improved with time, so that after two
years its insulation is said to have in
SAoooSu "ooue CA6uUy AoAu. Auo ucAe
experiment made was at the instance
and expense of the Philadelphia, Viii.
mington and Baltimore railroad com.
pany. A line was laid across the
Schuylkill in September, 1877, in thirty
five feet Of water. 1t has been in opera.
ton ever since, and, like the other, its
insulation has increased instead of de.
preciating. Other tests have been
made equally satisfactory, the result of
which is that the system has been adopt
ed by the Western Union company, and
is to be put to practical use at once. A
line of pipe inclosing fifty copper wires
is to be laid between New York and
Philadelphia this summer, and will
doubtless be rapidly extended to other
large commercial centers and the ma.
tional capital. Doubtless the system
will also come into use for telephone
purposes. The multiplication of wires
between cities will enable business men
to uss the telephone for business pur-
poses between different cities, and thus
greatly enhance the value of that unique
invention. Huntington Ha,ck. Eye.