The Van Buren press., 1896-05-30
NEWS or ELECTRICITY
Running Telephone Line In tn.
Mountains

IN the Ea.l
Mountains IN
\ description by j. v. Dicker.o.
tine running of telephone line :. q
LeadvilIe to Aspen shows tba, I'm
phone construction in the PeoL;a ee
notall plain sailing. It took two M
to cover the entire length, Is mil.
In ordinary construction. the ny
would befset ~ to the mile. bnt =. s9Da
tain points where sharp turns W.
necessary the number would so
times be increased to IS to the ni,s
The members of the constructed e
had to be as expert as axfnen ne =.
we're as linemen, for when timber -.
encountered path of 200 feet on ~
side of the line had to be cleared H.
order that wires might not be braha
when trees were blown over bv ~
terrific blasts which at times nr.ras
in that region. A great deal Of A.
comparative slowness ofthc installatios
was owing to the inability of the wo,t
men to labor in such a rsrified atmoa
phere. At one point the wires wss.
strung on an elevation of 10000 ,so.
above sea level. In such an alttnds
tine lineman soon becomes completeIs
tired: after he has climbed two ar throa
poles he has to take a long rest IN =,
euperate his energies. The prenars.
tIon of the holes for the poles. which
would have been tedious in sins;I,,
ground, even in an ordinary atmos.
phere, was an especially slow and "a.
giguing operation. It was often necos.
sary to blast hole for the pole BY The
use of giant powder. and an ex-uIine,
who had an extensive experience viii,
explosives, was assigned to the ion
The digging of on> pole hole would
sometimes occupy hiI1 for a whole dav.
working honestly. Over 300 pounds q,
powder were used on the line for thie
purpose. When the Continental NJ.
vide was reached. the poles had to be
abandoned and the wires were placed
in a submarine cable, which was bnr
ed in two-foot trench for distance
of 1900 feet. The advisabilitV of aban.
doning aerial construction at this point
was demonstrated by the experience
of the company who maintain the Den
YER &c Leadville line. At one point on
that line. Mosquito pass, the poles wera
originally set 100 feet apart. As soon
as the wires were covered with sleei
they promptly snapped. and the line
was useless. Double the number o.
poles were then used, with the samq
result The space between the pole,
was then reduced to Is feet, but a,
soon as the sleet came the line was
swept down fiat. Eventually an under.
| ground cable was laid for 81, miles
and there has been no trouble since
The rapidity and size of these ice &C
foundations are almost incredible 10
those who have had no experience with
mountain telephone lines. The fore.
man of a construction gang remarked,
vi hen questioned about this difficulty,
"Why, man, the sleet comes down Mos.
quito pass in such way that tele,
phone wire would be as big round as
your body in no time" In winter the
linemen detailed to make repairs trav,
ri on snowshoes. If they are over
taken by q storm or find they must re.
main out over night, they push fof
the nearest refuge, which is ordinarily
u deserted cabin formerly occupied by
some prospector or miner. All the
poles are numbered and the linemen
are furnished with maps, which indi'
cate where shelter is to be obtained
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.