National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-07
TIE UNDERGRoUND CABLE.

Satisfactory Tests Made nnd che Experl-
ments Found u succcss-A HUH DCtcrip-
ton OF the Wires and the Way They
Are Manipulated.
Tho telegraph pole nuisance has been the
subject of much comment and discussion in
this city. The has resulted largely from the
stand tho district commissioners have taken
i'll the matter. They favor an underground
syst,m, and are apparently determined to
abolish air lines and unsightly poles In
view Of these facts reporter Of THE REPUD-
LfCAN interviewed several gentlemen we'll
known in electric circles yesterday.
Mr.. MOrell Mareau, formerly assistant
manager and electrician of tho Western Union
telegraph office in this city, was met. lie
said "A very satisfactory test was made in
this city between Col. Rockwcll's Office on
Seventeenth street and the capitol building,
over the Waring underground cable. recently
laid by the Standard Underground Cable
company, and which was connected with gov.
eminent air lines, making thirty-5ix miles of
underground cable attached TO FIVE miles of
air line. with thirteen relays inserted
representing great inductive capacity.
In the same cablo l established n
fivo-mile telephone circuit, and then operated
the two simultaneously, without discovering
the slightest induction from the Morse to
the telephone lines. Induction Is entirely
overcome by the peculiar construction of the
Waring cable, each of the six wires being
separated from the other by a solid wall of
metal, the latter being connected with the
earth. conversation over the telephone
circuit between Col. RockwelPs Office
and the capitol failed to show any of the dis
turbances common to air lines, such as tho
rafting or sputtcring that Gun frequently he
heard ON our city telephone wires. / then
made up Morse Geographic circuit of forty
mn Ia, Yh..g main OH
saunders, which are very low resistance in.
strumouts. This circuit worked successfully.
Signals were received perfectly from both
ends 1t was not possible to detect any df-
ference in time between the sounds of the
transmitting and receiving saunders, although
both were in the same room.
" Insulation tests were made with u
Thompson rejecting galvanolnoter, tho most
sensitive testing instrument known. l found
an insulation resistance of 15O,000000 ohms
per mile, which showed that the insulation
was extremely high. In fact, there is no me-
ccssty of having better insulation than that
afforded by the Warning cable. The resist
ance offered to the passage of 'he electric
current Ivy the wire used in the cable was
about II Ohms per mile, while the resistance Of
iered to the current by tho insulation
was 1JO,O0OO00 ohms per mile. This shows
that the chances of any OF the current reach
ing the earth through the insulation are as IL
to l1O,OOO,OO0 in one milo
81 think the Waring cable is u very practi-
cable cable to lay. 1t has no Objectionable fea-
lures, US far Us have discovered. The opera
ton of cutting in way offices upon one or more
of the wires in the cable of branching, of run
ming loops to isolated offices, and, in fact,
| every operation necessary in a complete
| system, can be effected with as great facility
as in case of air lines. BY the peculiar con-
struCtion of this cable each separate wire can
easily be found, which avoids cutting into
| the wrong wire"
In regard to the pcrmanency and durabil-
ity of the Waring cable, Mr.. Marean said I:
| ut is my opinion that permanency is one of
the features OF this cable. | sec no reason
| why IL should not last very long time. If
the insulation lasts two years, rs it has done
on tho Pittsburg line, ii should certainly last
| 100 years. Any successful underground cable
would be preferable to aerial lines, especially
in cities, where fully four-ffths, or nine-
tenths of the Interruptions to air lines occur
| by reason of wind storms sloet, &c. These
causes would not affect underground wires" q.
| Mr.. A. j. Kennedy, electrician at Col. Rock
wells Office, said: / have been present mt all
the tests of the Waring cable in this city. They
were perfectly satisfactory. l have talked
over telephone circuit made up of five miles
of the Warning underground wires and eight
cen miles of air line The sounds came with
great clearness, and no difficulty was expert
enccd in holding conversation. | was at the
terminus of the air line and at times was
much annoyed By the induction and cross.
talk taken up by the air line along its
length. Mr.. Austin was at the cablo
end of the circuit and afterward in
formed me that the line was entirely free
from induction sounds and cross-talk thus
proving that the cable acted as a sitter Of the n-
duction taken upby the air line with which it
was connected with it. This was Il result en-
tirely unexpected. have worked Morse in
strumcnts over the underground wires con-
nCctgd with the government air lines aud
found that they worked admirably. | would
| be glad If all the wires III this city were I'M
der ground. My opinion Is that the Waring
cable is the best ever invented. 1t is en-
tirey successful, and meets n long felt want"
Mr.. j. w. Marsh, the secretary OF the
Standard Underground Cable company, was
found at Wormley's hotel, and the reporter
ELECTED from him the following:
THE copper wire used in our underground
cable is first covered with four or more
wraps of cotton, each succeeding wrap being
wound in n direction opposite TO the proceed
ing, and is placed on small reels, each carry
ing half-milc Yhen it is submerged in and
drawn through compound called 'oZite,
which possesses the highest insuatlve quail.
ties known, much higher than parratfine, and
is then ready to go to press An ordinary
lead'pipo press, in combination with few
special appliances, is used for making this
cable, All tho parts of the press hav-
ing been properly adjusted, the wires
arc passed over guide pulleys to the top of the
press, thence through an iron core bar which
guides the wires through the lead cylinder
and holds them in proper relation to each
other; thon projected short distance through
the die whose function is to give the desired
exterior form TO the cable; the lead plunger is
then raised, the cylinder is charged with
lead, and the hydraulic press is started, when
the plunger is driven into the cylinder and
forces the lead out through the die and
around the tip of the core bar where il
seizcs the wires and encases them in com.
mon mass. each wire being separated from its
fellow wires by solid wall of lead. The
finished product is led TO large reels is tested
while in process of manufacture and tinallS
tested before Stating tho reels ready for ship
ment.
''Wo can make underground cable in any
form desired, Hat, triangular, square, round
or star-shapod, and carrying any number o
wires, from two to twenty-five. We also vary
the size Of the wire, and the amount OF in
sulutivG covering, thus producing cables spe
ciH!ly adapted for telephone, telegraph, OF
electric light purposes.
In thirty days from now our company will
have completed such additional machinery
and works in Pittsburg rs VIII increase oui
manufacturing capacity to eight or ton mile!
OF six TO ten wire cable per day.
81 want the people OF Washington TO under
stand" continued Mr.. Marsh, THAI the cables
laid here by us are not laid ~ au experiment
but for the purpose OF practical deuOnstra