The Washington critic., 1888-01-28
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES
A silver Cable Might Take Converse
tion Clear Across the Ocean.


tion Clear Across the Ocean.
81 am bull on the telephone" said
Manager VIM. Eckert Of the Metropol-
itan Telegraph and Telephone Com
pany, in answer to an inquiry as to
the possibility of telephone com
munication under the Atlantic Ocean.
lie smiled when the question was
pressed and declined to hazard a
prophecy.
1T only know" he said, however,
"that when / discuss the future of the
telephone with the Bell Company's
experts ut Boston, no suggestion
seems startling enough to stagger
them. The company has n corps of
skilled and high-prtced electricians
ment with q view to developing the
telephone in every direction, and
nothing is too bold for these men to
project. They have invented many
improvements, and something new
may appear at any moment.
There are no very long sub
marine telephone cables in use,
but those now laid work satis-
factorily. have talked through five
miles Of cable back and forth across
the Hudson and 40 miles by land out
into Jersey with perfect success. Our
long distance lines run through sew
eral miles Of submarine cable, and
long distance telephoning is now as
practicable rs any other system.
There are 20 lines to Philadelphiaand
about as many TO Boston, while ex-
periments are making with view to
connecting other cities"
Mr.. Eokert admitted that the tele-
phone did not work as satisfactorily
in New York as in smaller cities. He
sets this down chiefly to the great
number of overhead wires in this city.
There are thirty-seven wire compa-
nies doing business in New York city,
| said he, "and often our telephone
wires are crossed or paralleled by hum
| dreds Of telegraph and electric light
wires. The Induction is tremendous,
especially FROM the heavily charged
| wires of the electric light companies
and from the wires of the tickers
| The make and break of circuit as
each letter is formed by these instru-
ments is often heard by our SUBJ
| scIibers."
"What is the remedy?"
1--WE hope much from the under
ground system. We have q good
many short circuit wires down, and
| they have thus far worked satisfac-
| torily. 1t is impossible to say what
| will be the result when we have
cables of 100 wires or moro and five or
| six miles long underground,
! What most fear in the underground
| system is the presence of the heavily
charged wires of electric light and
| telegraph companies. If they parallel
us Think the induction will be very
| injurious to our work.
"But still the underground system
is our great hope. If it is once made
generally practicable the use of the
telephone will vastly increase in this
city. We have, exclusive of private
wires between individual subscribers,
about 0,900 customers, small mum
Der in proportion to those in some
cities of much smaller population.
The number of telephones in private
houses in New York is comparatively
small, simply because we have not the
facilities with overhead wires to push
that branch of the business. That
trade is within our reach as soon a:
we can give it attention"
Mr.. Eckert said he did not expec
to see any radical change in the form
of the telephone, save, perhaps, ;
contrivance to hold the receiver to the
ear and leave the listener both hand
free. He laughed when asked as t,
the practical use of telephone audi
BILE to q person sitting several fee
away from the instrument. "rha
has been perfected" he said, ''bu
n nobody cares for it. We were al
amused and delighted with the inven
ton when it was first shown, bu
after awhile it was agreed by expert
that the thing was not'likely to be o
practical value. No one cares to hav,
| q thing in his Office that may tall
right out at the most inopportun
moment There are none in use, a
far as / know. Ss-s
"Rural telephone circuits hav
| grown up with wonderful rapidity il
New England and the West" sail
Mr.. Eckert, when this branch of tn
business was touched upon "Nearl,
every considerable town in New Eng
land is connected by telephone witt
its local metropolis. OF course thes
local systems may be connected b
long distance lines with the grea
cities of the country. In long dis
tance lines and underground lines
metallic circuit is established an,
copper wires are used. The finer tn
metal the higher its conductivity
Could we have silver telephone wire
the improvement in the service woul
be marvellous" ."-[New York Press.