Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-01-02
Poles Must Go.

The German empire alone has no les'
than %, 900 miles Of subterranean wire,
out CT total of 152. 900 miles of line
France has 1900 miles OF underground
wire in successful use Austria-Hun-
gary comes next, with 354 miles of hei
underground, aud Russia follows, with
a subterranean system covering l5s
miles.
We have not at hand the means ol
showing all the crcss-country line:
making up these several totals, nor il
such showing necessary at the present
time. either for the purpose of making
good the statements heretofore made
or Of establishing the points we had In
view, which related solely to intra'
mural service, or the use of wires in
cities. We are, however, able to name
number Of instances where wires are
carried for long distances under ground
through stretches OF open country,
there there are no objections to the
pole-strung lines, such as exist IN
populous and crowded cities.
Between Berlin and Halle, in Ger
many, there are over four hundred miles
of wire, in all. laid beneath the sur
face OF the earth, and working as salts
factorily as the air-strung lines, with
the additional advantage that they are
less liable to injury and interruption
from atmospheric and other causes. Ia
France the telegraph lines belonging
to the railway between Paris and Nancy,
distance of one hundred aud seventy
miles. are wholly laid under the
ground.
A portion of those belonging to the
Paris. Lyons and Mediterranean raul
way line are similarly constructed, and
measures are now being taken to put
the system into more general operation
Oh that route. In England the under
ground wires have also been worked
successfully between distant points for
some time past-the lines between
liverpool and Manchester, some thirty
six miles apart, being a notable IN
stance.
II Is, however, with the desirability
and feasibility of underground wires in
cities that the discussion OF the sub
ject has mainly to do at the pr sent
time, and upon this phase of the ques-
tion We are fortunately able to thow a
good deal of positive and quite con-
elusive light. An official report, pre-
pared some three years ago from au-
thentlc data then obtained, showed that
there were nearly 900 miles OF subter-
ranean wires worked successfully at
thst time in the principal cities Of the
British islands and the continent, as
follows: In London. 110 miles; in other
cities in Great Britain, 120. In Paris,
1l9; other cities in France, 100. In
Berlin, 80; thlrty-two other cities In
Germany, 40. In Amsterdam, II; the
Hague, 4; fortv-tive other places in
Ho.Iand, 19f. In Brussels, 81; Ant
we-p, 2. In various cities in Switzer-
land, II.
Since these statistics were furnished,
the underground system has been very
much extended in the countries named,
as Eell IN the cities where it was then
~ - ne IN other ..laces where the ex-
pertinent had not yet been tried, SO
1t Is quite within reason TO assume that
the length of wire as reported at that
time has now, very nearly. if not who'll
ly, doubled. But the figures given
above very clearly demonstrate as they
stand the hollowness of the pretense set
up by the telegraph interests OF this
country and those serving them, that
the underground system is not practic-
able.