, 1889-01-30
TROUBLE HUNTERS.
MEN WHO CLIMB TELEGRAPH POLES
AND THINGS THEY SEE.

how Breaks in the System Arc Discovered
and Notwithstanding on Beechcr's
~Deathbed-A LInoman who Did n wo-
man n Service and Had to Fay FOR It
To a person not thoroughly vcrsed in
matters pertaining To tGlegr1phing the
line on the seventh four Of the
Western Union building on Broadway
would prove particularly interesting II
ia situated Immediately beneath the
switchboard. and has over 1900 wirrs
entering the different windows This j.
h llnemUn's h~cudquarirr. anl th,
starting point OF the ''truuhle hruirrS.
II am often asked what a uuuhl,
hunter is, and III tell you, said unv q!
the oldest hands to n Star reporter wine
was sitting in the YESTERDAY We
are notified by one of the operators at
the switchboard that circuit uli.ty-six.
say, Is dead. and tho trouble hunter
starts from tbs point and follows the
wire carefully To the spot where the
break is. There his responsibility ceases
and the repair gang take hold and
remedy what defect they lind. There
ure three classes of difficulties we en-
counter. They are designated rs OPEN
ground and escape. An open is a
complete break in the wire, which is
- 'ANHnH - - " W lhAAlAAA-
COOL HERD REQUIRED.
"Nhcn a wire grounds its u different
thing. The earth, Of course, is n reposi-
tory for all electrical fluids, and il an
exposed wire touches Mt any place 1t nat
urally intcrferes with the circuit. A
green pole, when wet, IL nIo an excel
lent conductor, and frequently causes us
no end Of trouble. a telegraph pole
should be thoroughly seasoned before
haipw mt into REQ lint fra,t,.nrip a ,rr..,,
II il put up, and then after "a heavy
shower tho wrapper around the wire
may become worn, and, the line coming
IN contact with the green wood. the cleo
trical current, instead of being carried
along on the circuit, runs iato tho earth.
and until the defect Is rcmedicd the line
is practically useless. a green polo from
a window, touching nm exposed wire,
would not interfere with the working
unless h pole In some way ran into the
earth.
AN escape is on the same principle
as n ground 1t generally occurs where
tho inhalation ON u wire becomes worn
and part of the electrical fluid escapes
and part runs IN the circuit
What are the principal qualifications
to becomes lincmany'
"a cool head. Any one could per
form the mechanical part Of tho work
49, - ~ RNih ~ W. IL Ut
an elevation Of n couple Of hundred
feet on n slim pole, when a fall means
certain death, is another thing. When
a strong wind Is blowing il makes tho
task particularly lard and dangerous.
Tho spurs we wear attached to our
boots, sometimes give way; and then
again the Woo IL often rotten, and one
misstcp means u fall. There's n knack
in climbing up n pole properly. but it's
NOT IulI n4 had ma tho sH,ftffyr .NnNt~n
Tho sensation, / can tell you, il very
peculiar 10 new hand"
SEEN FROM THE roLE's Tor.
According to the statement Of half n
dozen linemen spoken to, some very
strange sights have beer witnessed by
them while perched on n crossbar of a
pole. one Of them in relating his cx-
pericncc said he was working for n tele-
phone company in Brooklyn and had
been sent To repair n wire on Clark
street. II WINS necessary for him to
climb nearly every pole in the street,
and while ascending ono near tho corner
of Hicks street he was enabled to look
diagonally into tho windows of n house.
The sight he saw rivctcd his attention
for n few moments. There was an
elderly gentleman on the bed surrounded
by members of his family, and was evil
IDENTIFY dying. Tho man gazcd at the
lANhAAN " A'AAANAA ~ NAAA IA lnts hllAl lllNI
proceeded with his work and descended
TO the ground. The house faced on
Hicks street, and before the door n small
crowd had gathered, and were discussing
some news
Whose house is thatg' he asked an
old gentleman who had come down the
stops. The gentleman looked at him in
surprise II moment.
THAT is Henry Ward Beecher's house."
he replied. 'and he has just died
Another linemnn related a peculiar ex-
pcrience he had while perched on n pole
on Third avenue, near Sevcnty-third
street. He had n pair Of pinchers in his
hand, II was in the act of twisting the
two ends of a broken wire, when he
heard u woman scream. He turned his
head and saw n man in n room abusing
u woman, who was screaming ut the top
of her voice. On the impulse Of the
momen he threw his pinchers through
the window mt the brute. who beat u
hasty retreat. When he reached the
ground the woman was waiting for him.
She had called an officer and wanted to
have him arrested for ~assaultiug her
husband by throwing the pinchcrs Mt
him. The lincmnn was Obliged 10 pay
for n pane of glass, through which he
had thrown the pinchers, uutwith-
standing he considers his act saved the
woinan's life. The various experiences
they relate, many of them Of Il very
dramatic and interesting character. would
I'LL volumes and show the different phases
OF htc 70 be found in n great city.-New
York Star.
Use Of tho Electric Needle.
The Washington Star tells the expert
--L- F