The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-02-07
TROUBLE HUNTERS.
MEN WHO CLIMB TELEGRAPH POLES
AND THINGS THEY SEE.

MEN WHO CLIMB TELEGRAPH POLES
AND THINGS THEY SEE.
Eow Breaks in tho system Aro Discovered
and Remedied-Looking on Beecher's
Deashbed-A Lineman Who DID To-
man sexvsbe and Had 10 Pay Tor Il
To person not thoroughly ysrsed In
matters pertaining to tslegraphing the
Western Union building On Broadway
would prove particularly interesting. 1t
Is situated Immediately beneath the
switchboard, and has over 5000 wires
entering the different windows. This IS
the hnemen'B headquartere, and the
starting point Of the ltrouble hunters"
s11 am often asked what trouble
hunter Is, and III, tell you" said one ct
the:oldest hands to a. Star reporter who
was sitting In the room yesterday: I'VE
are notified by. one Of the operators at
the switchboard that circuit thirty-six,
say, Is dead, and tho trouble hunter
starts from this point and follows the
wire carefully to the spot where the
break Is There his respo ponabilitY ceases
and the repair gang take hold and
remedy what defect they find There
are three classes .of difficulties we en-
counter. They are,d dedgnated stopen,
ground and .escaps 81 An sopen.s Is o
complete breaksin thea,wire, which Is
-eas1 y-enough repaired when found.
COOL HEAD REQUIRED.
ssz.e eWhen'a'wire grounds it's a different
thing. The earth, of course, Is reposi-
tory for all electrical fluids, and II an
exposed wire touches at ANY plkce It nat
urally interferes with the circuit. a
green pole, when wet, ls ALSO an excel
lent conductor, and frequently causes us
no end Of trouble. a telegraph pole.
should be thoroughly seasoned before
being put into Use. but frequently agreen
one is put up, and then after heavy
shower the wrapper around tho 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, r1ns Into the earth,
and until the defect is remediad the line
Is practically useless. A green pole from
window, touching an exposed wire,
would not. intetfere with the working
unless the pole In some way ran into the
earth.
can escape. Is on the same principle
rs a ground It generally occurs where
the insulation on q wire becomes worn
and part OF the electrical fluid escapes
and part runs ON the circuit.
"What ara the principal qualifications
Ito become d lineman3
"a cool head. Any one could per-
form the mechanical part Of the work
{hr,a anglh lh,.f f,T a n Oh
an elevation OF o couple of hundred
CERTAIN death, e another thing. When
q strong wind Is. blowing II makes the
taak part ticularly hard and dangerous
The spurs we wear, attached to- our
boots, sometimes give way; and then
again the wood Is often rotten, and one
p1sstep means o fall. There's a knack
In climbing up pole properly, but it's
not half as bad as the coming down.
The 5sensstion,-I can tell s.yoll.:is very
peculiar to a. new hand -
SEEM FROM THE Poles TOP.
According to othsstatements OF half q
DOZEN linemens spoken to, some very
strange sights have been Witnessed by
themwhile perched on q crossbar Of o
pole. One. OF: them; In: relating his ex-
perienol said he o!Was working for tele.
phone companys Ia !. Brooklyn and had
been lsent ofsrepair wire on Clark
street. It was necessary for him to
climb nearly every pole In the street,
and ;WhiIa; ending. ono near the corner
aof:HLoks street.-the was .enabled ato look
diagonnllY into, the windows efi house.
The, sight he saw rivstsd his attention
for "a few moments. .: There was an
elderly gentleman on the bed surrounded
by members Of his family, and .was evil
dently dying. The man gazed at the
picture a moment In surprise, and then
proceeded with his work and descended
To- the ground. The house faced on
Hicks street, and before the door small
crowd had gathered and we're discussing
some news. = TX -.
Whose house Is that ho asked On
old gentleman who had come down the
steps. The. gentleman ilooked at him in
surprise moment.
"That Is Henry w ard Beeuhers house."
he replied, "and lie has Just died.
Another llnehlan related a peculiar ex-
$periencs hs had while p0rched on o pole
on Third avenue, near Seventy third
street. He had pair OF pinchars In his
sll1llU3 <lllu III tiAV wv VA Nv S|A0
Stwogendss OF a brokon wiro, wllan he
heard woman scream He turned his
head and:saw man in room abusing
a woman, who was screaming at the top
of her voice On tho impulse OF the
moment he threw his pinchers through
stheswind dowsatst the, brute. WHO cheat
hast retreat: s slienss sho reached the
ground itl,awolnaf was waiting for him.
She had called ian officer and wanted to
sKaveshim arrested for5 assanldng sher
husband byF thrDMin spinchers aat
hin. The 1inenian was Obliged to pay
for q pane OF glass, through which be
had thrown the pinchers, notwith-
standing he considers his act saved the
woman life. The various experiences
they relate, many Of them OF "a very
dramatic and interesting character, would
fill volumes and show tho diferont phases
of life to be found In great city.-New
York Stan.