Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23

unue In operation plans OF stringfng w,res
that were adopted by Prof. Morse when
MS great idea was in its incipiency. Every
other arm OF the telegraph service has been
improved upon to some extent from time
10 time. but the stringing of wires remains
In the same old rut
There are times when the interruption of
communication owing to careless or crude
methods and heavy storm may be a very
serious matter. If there should be a time
OF serious national or international trouble
II might be matter of the utmost conse-
Quence to the government and conse-
Quently to the people. that the connection
OF the capital with other important cities
should not be liable to be broken by a
mere windstorm. During the progress of
tne storm ana Tor some twelve hours
afterward communication with the east
ana west from this city was almost entirely
cut on or Of such a nature as to be OF little
value. Out-of-town papers suffered con-
sioerapiy IN the matter of details on the
vote OF the House on the silver bill, and a
forerunner was given of what might be ex-
pected under the same circumstances with
stu greater events happening at the ma
TONS capital.
The System Defective.
Our system OF electrical communication
will be very defective and uncertain 50
long as telegraph wires connecting the
chief cities Of the country are liable to be
blown down by any violent storm that
happens to come along. The country Is
getting too big to suffer this Inconvenience.
when the expenditure OF q comparatively
small sum would right the defect This
breaking of communication by telegraph
win the large cities might be q matter of
great moment to business and the inter
ruptlon at critical time might involve i'm
mense losses. The transmission of genera
news Is sometimes not only a matter OF
oVerpowering interest to the people but IL
may be matter that deeply concerns their
welfare for the time being
rms country. and in fact the world, has
come 70 point where 1t Is largely de-
pendent upon the uninterrupted working
or the great system OF electrical commupi.
cation that has been built up with such
marvellous rapidity. The working OF The
country's affairs has become adjusted with
reference to this factor and 1t is important
that 1t should be in constant operation.
Last winter q storm pa ssed over the east
ern coasts that severed communication for
Two days, and in fact almost every winter
brings one or more of these embarrassing
interruptions. During the storm of a few
weeks past the wires were torn down by
the mile out on the country roads and in
this city while the poles for the most part
stood firm the wires became a cobweh OF
enlargement. Conduits for the placing
OF wires underground in this city have been
laid. but for some reason the wires remain
IN the air. But the greater danger to tele-
graphic communication lies along the coup-
try roads. In several places the wires and
poles are protected for short stretches by
high establishments or small hills, but for
the most part they are out In the open or
near to trees. that in breaking cause sad
havoc by their weight carrying everything
with them to the ground.
An Underground Conduit.
Between this city, Baltimore Philadel-
phia and New York at least there should
be permanent, indestructible electrical
communication. The cost might be Of some
account to the telegraph companies, but It
would insure them against the necessity
Of making expensive repairs after every
storm and against an interruption Of their
business just when 1t might be Of the
greatest Importance. conduit for electric
wires along the railroad tracks of the most
available road between this city and New
York. taking In the two large cities on the
way, would not be a very expensive con-
trivance. To the government and to the
business community it might, at a critical
time, mean a saving from losses compared
with which the cost of burying the wires
would be trffle The countries OF Europe
are away ahead Of us in this matter of
placing wires underground, but the tele-
graph systems over there are directly in
the hands OF the government and for tina I
reason expense no doubt plays a small
part.
Ideas and suggestions for the remedy of
the defects in the telegraph systems of the
country are many and varied. To inter-
view q scientific electrician would result in
technical Information almost worthless to
the average reader, while the words from an
everyday employee OF enc OF the companies
now existing would perhaps give a better
idea of what Is necessary for the permanent
maintenance Of telegraphic communicat ton
With this end in view an Evening Star re-
porter hunted up an old-timer, whose term
OF service runs back thirty years and per-
suaded him to talk on the subject. He
said:
An Old Telcerapher's Views.
''The question Of protecting telegraph
wires from hard usage during a storm is a
most important one and has deserved at
tention for long time past. 1 have often
wondered at the inconvenience and annoy
ance the press Of the country and the peo-
pie have submitted to, seemingly without
protest I have frequently sat at my desk
with large bundle of kilograms under my
arm waiting for good wire to materialize
and wondered how long this thing was to
keep up. Messages are delayed, and the eX-
cuse given that the weather is bad and the
wires are working poorly. Here and there
| through the Office the saunders can be heard
ticking away regularly denoting the fact
that several wires are all right, and where
there are several there should be twenty
FIVE or fifty.
AS you know" continued the telegraph
operator, 81 have been working In the bust
ness a long while, almost three decades and
with the exception OF a few unimportant
devices, the mode of stringing wires is the
same as when 1 was fedgling in the bust
ness. The ordinary transact of affairs
ought not to be at the mercy Of any corpor-
alton; but that is just the state Of affairs
we have passed through time and time
again. and which has been wildly illus
trated during the latest great Storm If
there Is one time more than another that
the importance Of immediate communica-
ton Is apparent, II Is in great storms of
the character We have just recently expert
enced 1t has become standing joke among
the newspaper men to wink the other eye
when an operator Tolls back In his chair and
says the wires are in trouble They know
1t is the fact. but they like to intimate that
the operator is soldering on them.
users OF leased wires, the press assocla-
lions. brokers. bookmakers. and the public
generally, that no reliance can be placed on
the service during a stress Of weather. and
1t is reasonable to suppose that the loss Of
business due to this knowledge more than
EQUALS the economies that follow this con-
dition Of things. Among these patrons Of
the telegraph the first words they mutter
as they glance out of the window on q
rainy morning are something on this or
der: I can take my time this morning get
ting to the office; 1t will take an hour or
two getting the wires to work, and the
chances are they'll not work at ALL
Tab ON BreakaGe.
"All these people have contracts with the
hat oil drp yhoc ks for ho6