The Evening critic., 1882-10-26
TALKING THROUGH SPACE.


Ffbnkl In caught electricity on his klte-strng
something new in the nnttsNeot utilizing
the electric element has come before the
world, and now 1t Is In the power OF man to
communicate with all parts OF the worl ] al
most lnstantnncOusly.
The Very Latest Scheme.
and one that Is by learned mon of science pro.
uOuuccd the beat In the mater OF tel3graphy,
Is that known IA the postal telegraph system.
II has been very much discussed OF lata aud IL
stlll u matter OF COMMENT Knowing this, aud
aware OF the fact that postal telegraph com
unuy had been formed, In which number OF
Washington capitalists and wealthy mon OF
other cities were Interested, reporter OF THE
CRITIC to-day proceeded 70 Investigate the
scheme, with view tu placing IL In an inter.
estiug form before the public. By IL fortunate
stroke the reporter found gentleman who Ia
perhaps better posted on the subject than any
other Interested. Thnt gentleman was
Mr. lester Bartictte.
really the chief executive OF the new company,
and under whose direction all the now lines
rebeing constructed, Mr.. Bartleuo was found
In the cosy library of his handsome residence,
1901 Massachusetts avenue northwest. lie
was temporarily confined Indoors by u maui
rial attack, and though Ill., was Kind enough
To furnish tho Information sought. In re-
sponso TO n leading question Mr.. Bartlcttc
said "About year ago called tho attention
OF valuable inventions In tslegraphy, aud af-
ter their investigation OF the patents and con
fcrences on tho same with eminent electrl-
clans, they took hold Of the enterprise aud or
ganized what is now known as I'll.
The Postal Telegraph Company.
The organization was thus named for two
reasons: First, because we could glvo uni
foim price for messages which might be sent
between the different cities OF the United
States: and, second, that by our new inven-
tlons we could send messages SO cheaply as 70
superscde, I'm great measure, business letters
which are sent u long distance now by mall
The gentlemen who took the matter In hand
saw that there was n new field In the telegraph
business, and that by giving business men the
nj - NV.l tu Tn .1n
and by building lines and Issuing bonds only
upon the amount Of the actual cost of the
lines, and not watering the scheme from 100
to 800 per cent, as all tho other limos havo
done, business could be carried on at nomi-
nal price In comparison with the present cost
OF tho telegraph business, and fair Interest
upon this idea our company has been at work
for come time, and are now building
The Rest Telegraph Lines
the world has ever seen. In order TO do tais
skilled and experienced men have boen en-
ployed, among them Mr.. William II. Fairbanks
the best and Oldest constructor In the bust
ness, who Is engaged for three years G3 our
superintendent OF construction. We have also q
number Of Washington men engaged In the
construction Of several hundred miles OF our
lines" Mr.. Dartlcttc having dwGlt 80 par.
tlcu larly upon the mattcrof construction, the
reporter questioned him further ON this point,
and was surprised TO learn of tho care With
which the company arc setting their poles
and constructing their lines. Mr.. Bartlctte
said that wherever they find soft ground,
shifting clay or quicksand thoy sink casks to
depth of ilvo and II half feet and set tho
poles In these casks, filling up the space with
| one-third cement and two-thirds sand, so that
no matter how great n storm might be, IT
seemed impossible that any OF ihe poles
would be blown down to prevent com
municatlon. They are also putting In
The Highest and Largest Poles
that can be found. In some places In crossing
rayincs in low countries they are putting up
lines of poles from sixty TO siXty-flvo feet high
Ia nrIa tn lraA IL a mn
sagging. s, .o..osa asa vo,, r,o,,,r =, 81.
matter of constructions" asked the reporter
"We arc getting along very nicely. We are
now completing about seyenty-lvo miles of
line each week, and expect by the LIST of
January, next TO DO working between New
York and Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Sandusky,
Indianapolis, Foit Wayne and Chicago. The
line Will be so perfect that by putting on a
telephone
A whisper Can be Heard
from New York TO Chicago. | may add that
although Gray in selling his patents to us
only agreed 10 make five wires out OF one; he
| Is actually making now an iron wire about
three hundred miles In extent; nine wires out
| of one, or, IN other words, he can send nine
| messages on one wire In either direction at the
same time. In talking last saturday about
| DR.. Grny's patents with Mr.. Andrews, of New
| York, who is president OF the United States
| Electric Light Company, and who has an lu-
| terest In our scheme, that gentlemen said hc
| should not doubt the ability of Gray to do
| anything, no matter how Wild tho scheme,
| because tho 1lIst electrical experiments that
| Gray showed the public We're exhibited In his
people present heard tho music In
the room which was conveyed by wires con.
nectod with melodeon several miles distant,
| they were 80 enthusiastic as 10 pronounce II
| miraculous. But Gray, in response to their
| wonderment, simply said IN his blunt way
| 'Pshaw, Will talk overa longer wire In loss
| than year. Mr. Anderson added that he
| then thought that Gray was going too far, ana
| must have been crazy; but time taught men
| how ignorant they were, as Gray subsequently
| accomplished everything he claimed he could
| do. There is nothing in an electrical way
continued Mr. Bartlett to the reporter, "that |
believe impossible, and believe that Gray,
| instead of making Ave wires out of one, viii
| make twenty, as he agrees
"Haye you a sample of your wire?" TIL
| CRITIC asked.
| Mr.. Batt,ctte responded afllrmatlvely and
handed tho caller piece and expl iined 1t;
merits. ''rhat is the compound wlre," hC
| said, at consists OF steel wire core, weighing
| 200 pounds per mile, that Will resist tensile
strain of 1850 pounds, on which the copper Il
| deposited 10 any required weight, the stce
securing the requisite strength and elasticity
| The wire that Will be used by this company
| on its trunk lines Will have not less than 50l
| pounds OF copper per mile, with resistance
10 the electric current not exceeding L..
| ohms."
''What are some Of its advautages?"
| sit has seven times greater conductiylty
than Iron wire of equal size, copper being the
| best conductor known except silver, and ID has
equal strength when strung on tho lines"
scan no other company got upa similar oil
as good q wireT' inquired The CRITIC
"We have obtained all tho patents tina
cover compound copper wlres," Mr.. Bartlett,
replied, "and no other company can obtail
the wire except they purchase from us. Oul
factory to-day Is the largest electro-platln.
factory In the world, and though we work da!
and night we can only complete ten miles o
wire IN twenty-four hours. Tho only com
panies we would sell our wire ID would bj
telephone and electric light companies an,
tho telegraph companies In other c)un
tries.
An Important item.
"There Is quito an important Item In tn
manufacture OF this wlrc," continued tn
gentleman. San impurities and other metal
are precipitated 10 the bottom Of our watts, ant
VIC then save all the gold ana silver that Is Il
the copper, which amounts TO almost onOug
10 pay for the labor of our factories. You see
II there Ii ten dollars Of gold and ten OF sllye
| In per ton OF copper, II would not pay owner
TO retne their copper, but by putting It int
our chemical watts and carrying tho copper b!
| electricity on 10 our wires, we save all tn