The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-26

The hrst trunk line of the regular long
| distance system was put up III 1850 be-
tween Philadelphia and New York. The
utmost attention was paid to all details of
construction so as to secure perfectly
| strong and trustworthy line, proof against
all ordinary storms and free from any in
tiuence that might unfavorahly affect its
| electrical conditions. When the line was
| completed il was found that as far as any
| trouble due to external cause was con-
cerned no complaint could be made. but a
| difficulty arose which had not been met
with before, and was therefore something
entirely new and unlocked for. In
previous experience with long-distance
telephone lines only single metallic cir
cult had been dealt with, and as it was
found that properly constructed metallic
| circuit did away with all outside
electrical interference, it was assumed that
| several metallic circuits worked side by
side would have no effect upon each other,
| and that there would be no interference
between them. Quite the reverse was
found to be the case when the first trunk
| line containing dozen or so of metallic
| circuits was completed The induction
between the different lines was SO strong
that it was comparatively easy to over
| hear conversation going on over pair
| OF wires by listening at telephone con-
nected to any Of the other pairs. This, Of
course, was a serious difficulty. but the
|
| In their work at every step-in fact cleo
trical progress is principally achieved by
making imperative arrangements oper-
| alive. Experiments were undertaken
with view to discovering a
remedy for the trouble, and after numer-
! Gus trials it was found that by altering the
| position OF the wires at certain intervals
| along the line so as to secure a methodical
! series of changes In the relations of the
| circuits to each other throughout the
| length of the line the induction could be
| entirely cOunteracted and its troublesome
| effects nullifed. The problem thus salts
| factorlly solved, 1t was afterwards an easy
matter to arrange any number of metallic
| circuits on single line of poles without
| risk of producing any interference between
| them by induction from one circuit to an
| other.
| In the building OF the long distance lines
| the most thoroughly sound and scientific
| principles of construction are strictly ad-
| hered TO. Hard drawn copper wire Is used
| exclusively, copper being much better
conductor OF electricity than iron. This is
especially true where telephone currents
| are concerned, because the magnetic prop
| critics of iron produce a retarding effect on
the fluctuations that is entirely absent
from copper. The best material procurable
| is used for poles and crossarms; the. cross
| arms are bolted to the poles with long iron
| bolts and braced with couple ofiron braces
apiece; the poles are planted deeply in the
| ground, and where the soil is at all loose or
sandy an artificial foundation is made with
cement and broken stone. At every curve
| the poles are securely guyed or braced to
| resist side strains. in fact no precaution is
spared to render the mechanical construc-
ton of the lines as perfect as it can be
| made. On every route the wires are kept
| as far apart as possible from all other
electric wires: for this reason the wires
| are carried along roads and across coun-
| try as much as possible in preference to
| along the railways. Rights-of-way are Sc
cured from owners of private property,
| and where tall trees are met with on the
route the right OF trimming the trees, so
| that they may be kept clear OF the wires,
is bought. Sometimes trees are bought
| outright with this object. The result
| of this systematic method of building
the lines shows very clearly that all this
| careful work is profitable in various ways.
The long distance telephone lines with
| their straight poles and faulty stretched
wires are the most slightly form of over
head electrical construction to be found in
| the country and do not arouse the same
| amount of opposition among municipali-
ties and private property-owners that
cheaper and more ugly work does. Their
| staying qualities are beyond compare, and
| the telephone wires give good service dur
| ing times of stress and storm when those
| of the telegraph are literally grounded in
| all directions. A thoroughly trustworthy
| service is q most important feature of tele-
| phone communication and this has been
kept well in view by the Long Distance
Company from the very beginning
| of its operations. Its lines have
successfully withstood the most severe
storms. and the gales and snowstorms
that play such havoc every winter with
the telegraph wires seldom cause any
| serious Interruptions to the telephone
| L., I,x,o Ftar h.
orable blizzard that struck New York in
| March, 1887, the only direct communica-
| ton between New York and Boston was
| had by means of the long distance tele-
| phone lines. which weathered the storm
that laid every other wire low over many
| square miles OF country.
Every day at q. IN. all the wires are
tested by the managers of the various CEN
trail offices, and any breaks or crosses are
| quickly traced out by means OF these tests
! until their approximate location is deter
| mined staff of skilled linemen IS kept
constantly in the employ of the company,
! and these men are stationed at different
points along all the principal lines so that
| repairs can he made with the greatest dis
| patch. So quickly are ali ordinary repairs
| such as the jointing of broken wires or
| the removal of crosses-made that it is
very seldom that any line remains in
| trouble after 10 a. III. The maintenance
it not infrequently happens that the whole
of an important trunk line, containing
| perhaps 10000 or 10000 miles of wire
! shows perfectly clear and free from all de-
tects at the morning tests
The instruments used in. long distance
telephony do not differ greatly from those
used in the regular local service some
what more powerful form of transmitter
has been adopted. w ich gives better results
where it is a question of working over q
| long line than the Blake transmitter that
is generally put out by the local telephone
/ companies. One of the chief advantages
| of the long distance transmltter is that it
| permits of the use of stronger battery,
! thus giving a greater reserve of power to
| allow for the losses caused in long line
| AS has already been pointed out how
ever the line is the next important factor
| in the problem, because the limitations
| of the transmltter are soon reached
| and the line calls for most atten-
tons in all efforts to increase the
range of the telephone. OF course, it is
impossible to always carry wires overhead
| In some places it is necessary to Law them
| under water, and in others municipal
regulations insist on their being placed
| underground. Then the telephone cur
| rent suffers. In submarine and under
| ground cables il is choked. muifed and
| distorted, and the distance at which ii is
| possible to carry OH conversation IS cut
down enormously. A few miles of under
| ground cable connected to the end of a
| long overhead line has a very appreciabie
| effect IN diminishing the clearness of trans
| mission. For this reason the long distance
| telephone wires are carried overhead wher-
| ever possible. and underground con-
Quits are avoided except in cases of abso-