The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-14
That's What Manager Sommers
Says the New Street Railways
Will Do.
Effects Of the Broadwater Line
On the Telephone Ser
vice.
How 1t Can Be Avoided-Long Distance
Talking-Shocked by Electricity on
the New Road.


more electric street car lines in Helena the
telephone service will be ruined. How is
that? Well. I'll tell you. This electric line
now running to the Broadwater hotel is
causing US much trouble. You see the cur
rent of electricity necessary to drive those
cars is very powerful, great deal more 30
than that used for electric lighting. The
steel rails answer the purpose for transmit
ting the undercurrent, and whenever car
passes by telephone pole the electricity is
indicted into the ground and connects with
these poles, speedily crawling up to the wire
and reaching back to the exchange, causing
some of the drops to fall. can sit up in
the telephone exchange and tell just where
away are affected by this current and even
wires LOCO yards distant are affected. but
not materially. If you will step up to the
Office I will illustrate this matter"
The scribe and Mr.. Sommers went to the
exchange and fortunately an elecric car was
in motion. It just started from the Hotel
Broadwater. The reporter placed the hand
telephone to his ear and could hear
the singing noise of the motor in the cleo
trio car as plainly as if he were in the car.
''That's the trouble" continued Mr.. Som
mers, (which we have to complain of, and
have just given you the Butte wire, which is
not within Thousand yards of the cleo
trio car. It is almost impossible to carry
on conversation while those cars are in
motion, but it is nothing to what it will be
be when they introduce these proposed new
lines on Main street. We have sub
scribers in every building and the result will
pole they pass will be SO strongly charged
as to keep the operators busy putting up
drops. Unless something is done before
this time comes, the telephone company
had better go out of business"
"How can it be avoided?'
"Well, the only thing to do now will be
to force these car companies to build an
overhead return wire, instead of using the
rails as is now done. Of course, it would
cost little more, but this company has
prior rights and capital invested, and the
public also, with whom the telephone has
grown to be O. necessity, can demand pro-
lection in this respect.
II think, however. that the overhead
wires and the trolly now used on electric
railways have but very short time to exist
These cars can be propelled without using
them. Electricity is yet in it's infancy and
it's possibilities are incalculable. You will
see before great while, that these cars
will run without any visible power-but
such is really the case now. But what
mean is that the poles and wires will all be
done away. A storage battery placed where
the moter Is now concealed will DO the
engine room with powerful dynamos which
shall charge the batteries with enough cleo
tricity to last twenty-four hours. This
scheme is nearing state of perfection and
is now in vogue on one street railway II
this country. It will be less expens.
the existing troubles with electric
car companies and the telegraph
and telephone companies A suit which
grew out of the trouble Of which l first
spoke was decided in favor Of the telephone
company in the east and the car company
: !, was forced to build return overhead wire
this being the only means of averting the
annoyance, until better way is discovered
, and it is probable that We may yet be forced
!, to sue for protection ALSO"
1t was learned from Mr.. Sommers thai
| Helena now has $40 subscribers to the tele-
phone, and he has just put in an additions
switch board with capacity of 200 drops
Butte has not quite 800 subscribers.
' 1t will be remembered that not long agt
D successful telephone communication wal
: had between Helena and Spokane Falls,
D distance of 400 miles. Butte was also con
, nected at the same time. adding 80 miles t,
the long distance over which conversatio,
was held. The result was complete sur
prise to Manager Sommers, who made tn
the experiment and not until he recognize,
the voice of the Spokane Falls manage
could he believe that he was talking acros
:. three territories. The experiment. wa
u made on Sunday over Western Uniol
wise at a time when the wire was not in use
: Mr.Sommers is now anxious to talk to Port
land. which is about 400 miles from Spo
l. kane Falls, and he has no doubt that tn
feat can be accomplished. He will try it a
a the first opportunity.
2. :.