Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-13

rined oniookers saw and comprehended for
the nrst time the dangers OF a Iineman's
calling. fire had occurred early I'm the
evening up in the battery room: all the
wires running into the telegraph building
mad been burned out, and during the pro-
gress OF a downpour OF rain, the line,nen
hao set to work to straighten out the for
midable tangle OF wires While perfor,n,ng
this duty one of the repair gang Crashed n
wire loaded with the deadly current: the
shock that followed threw him across sew.
erai wires foot below, and there he hung
hhip and almost lifeless for fully a half
hour, when he was taken down i'm safety
ana a Few days later reported for duty.
Inc outcome OF the accident was a most
fortunate one, as. under the same circum-
stahces' life would have been lost nine
Tunes out OF ten. The risks run by linemsn
pace 'hem IN the same category with rail-
road employes-when they start out on a
repair trip they have seven chances out of
ten for returning alive.
In the Early Days..
In the early days Of telegraphy. when the
line went down IT meant a cessation of hue
mess for an indefinite period 1t did nor
make much difference in these days, be-
cause the public had not learned to do bus
mess by wire to any great extent, but now
II Is quite different. If telegraphic commu-
hication Is cut on for even one day business
Is almost at standstilI. The two biy
s'orms' coming close together last fall
aptiy Illustrated this fact. Hence the neces-
SHY OF preparation for any emergency by
the employment of capable Industrious line
men and diversity OF lines Themselves
Between the great centers of business TODAY
'neie are hundreds OF wires, by different
routes, which bind them together. To keen
these wires in working order almost contin-
uaiiy requires large corps of linemen. all
OF whom are experts in their calling. and
although their work may appear merely me-
chanical, woe betide the greennorn that at.
tempts a little repairing on mis- own hook
without the necessary appliances to protect.
IN manner. his ignorance
To Cope With Any Emergency,
A large system requires a man at the
mead who Is able to cope with any emer-
sency with the means at hand, for he NAV
nave to send dispatch around the world
IN order to reach San Francisco from New
iork. Inc press associations know the
'aiue OF good wire man, and at impor-
taat points like New York. Washington and
Cmcago' nave men employed who when
tney ask for new wire can tell to a nice
Dy what route they would like the wire
aShe1 TOT 10 run and also the wire wanted
The Western Union has gobbled up so many
hnes within the last fifteen years, ali of
which nave different ratio as to strength
and durability, that the different routes
IraVersed still carry their original titles.
ror instance, the American Union Company
erected their lines in so thorough a man
ner that they-stand today as about the hes.
property the Western Union possesses The
liHes OF the American Rapid were built in
q hurry ana under contract and are about
inc worst strung on poles. So when an ont
sac wire chief asks for a new wire the
chances are he will say: BILLY. try and run
IN an ,. L. Tor US IL you possibly can"
Dur1ng d conversation recently with one
Oh the wire chiefs employed by the Western
Union, an Evening Star reporter switched
MIN on on to the life and work of a teIe-
graph lineman. He said: