The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-31
THE NEW TELEPHONE,
FfRSr METEOpOLITiN INCHINGf
OUTSIDE or BELL's CENTRiL,
The Difficulties Which the Company sur
mounied-Desoriptio OF the Line
Construction aud switchboard

| fNllAf the lN4AlNa luHil-rtl'it "a +r'
kind in this country. has the following
interesting article devoted TO tie kicn-
moud Telephone System in this city, IL
ustratcd wi,h SIX cuts. showing construc-
tions OF lines and switchboard.
Richmond. Va. has enjoyed certain
distinction In electrical matters since the
first practical overhead trolley road was
installed there ten years ago. Al that
time il was the Mecca of curious rail-
way men. anxious 10 believe and Yet
doubling the truth OF the marvels that
were told concerning the new motive
power.
To-day Tho first metropolitan telephone
exchange outside a. the Ben Company
control b. 81. operation there. bayus been
quietly opened for business dlfius the
summer of 1876. 4 has now iu use about
l.-Iu stations, with many more suuscuO-
els }ct no be connected.
Tho construction OF telephone OK
change in competition with AN existing
exchange is by 10 means an easy mat
ter. The promoters OF the now telephone
company in Richmond were mot AT the
outset with The difficulty OF successfully
IiFaIns highly satisfactory ana com
piete exchange operated hy Tie Ben Com
p9uy under the Law system. They also
found the streets ot Che city occupied
with "a mass &C telegraph, telephone,
electric light fire alarm and street rail-
way wires which added a very great aub
apparently iusuperabic diiiculty 10 tne
work OF overhead con tructon. AT Tue
Same time This was rendered no. nni
easy hv the orders Of tho municipal an-
fhostic7 which restricted the trunk intt
whore they were placed n streets 90 those
already occupied Dog poles and wires.
s. MODEL EXCHANGE.
n,. tb. nan. ro,,,o,, ana Boz MANY ir-
stances main limos were constructed
orroes rriy1fo rrortrtv noias having boon
co.. b., .f ,.irf. ,ri deri,rs course
-..,,..,,.,, o,.c, ,t,, .c,. ~ sl,.r houses ls
,'.l.... ,,..,.'-. ..,..,.,,i.f, a. ,r..,lrrorf
"a tIt+ +r.. r.,t.rt o.,
,,o.i..l .,,,i,oro.a
,.,r ,,1,ali. a., f-..'ir. ~ Iii .,,hscrihors
,.sro re,o,,ie. .s essential DO Drouor scrv-
az, .,t, Co., ,-. e ...,,tt,,,f4f.5
r..... t.... .'.,., ..t-...io,. ,n1 ~
,.a'4 I'D +.li Dr., ,,tt,b has r.rn
..f.,f. t fl..........t.f, f.,
$500 - 80. t.,f.r,'r f.'.fi,tior.
i.'iii, li-..,t, .'...-,, ,tsir, two
t .
,.,,,,.ii,. -. ,r..,t,r or,o,,n+
~, ' ,,.,r. ,i ,.' am. ,,.~ rbo number ~
,.lros .i,s,I,, d, tba l+reat. ard flo
t.rt 80 3D.. ,.oi. ,...-s.,,,. 90 .,rr,-
f,c ,,,,. ifr,s ofa.r .l.0,,. fr.rr called for
I'll, fteo ~ ID rron0rfiorqt.iv worry largo
.r,o,,rt ~ r,fl. fU riarfrr fl.-. l.fI ..
- - .rf..,.,l 10, ,..T ..... o.. tef,
~ ,i.. .,,or..ti. 0r ti.o '.,..trr, . rro-
,....., v.tt.I ,y.. ..or f.t.,d B, ho fr-
''. .,...,.. ,.,i
.to r-.. ..f...t..,-.. i..t,r-..i
,.,.,.i-t 10 any, p, l,-.. i,,..,..... b., ..,i.-
,u,
,.i.,, 40 +b, 1erotf, 20 OBJ. ,,f.f,- and
3D.. ,.,,r1hcr of cirr,,i-. carried fp thom
.gu,lF manor Instituted Cables were
o.I.tof iho ccrlrrfo,l lrfr.r I.id up i1
r3fe twisted oIorf egrh other q,le had
tr.lt,fr,- t,fra- r,ffar upIf ,r.. ln,.r-
ID ,,.ltl to,o and r.i.,t.l 49, ,.ro4,,tio,
AGAINST abrasion
rFa ,nhla-lfr. construction Be- worry solid
t.. Cables I1rcir,- Prom, tf'rea-a.-bt',s-
fr,h eto.l ,,ir. ro,os v,bt,r aro r...a1
.,..r o.. IONS az white r,.iar. .r,..-..,.,,,.
'rha.n ,rn..-arr.. I'm order fo ernnorf
3D.. .r..t WEIGHT of Tho cables v-r~. made
f..r and o..-ouarta- fr.ha. e...f. anal
.rlv -Ifttr boz hes long so tr.t DID call.
l..Id pa. erur0rtol more than fifteen
Inches from me pole They wore addition
ally efrDnefhenDI with sftT iron braces
..I heavily Jagged 100 tle poole. Tho oo-
n'.. are Imported lv U.ro ropes which
latter Wcr. passed over fle tops Of these
arrH l.lI.f f8ut HUI secured ly d0u-
.I. ..rti.a Of $50. iron H.r. W.l u.ut-
.i t0 tle support r0I. ou each side of
Ua Dr0. -lru. aroU.. which the iron
wire Was wrapped fW0 or f.ree Times
81 about every eighth pole the wire rope
w1- l..l ended having several TURNS
taken in 70 around tle Gro -Hrm Tle
eoid.fv Of this conetrus va demon
efIlfel In tI. DroI0uD OF Seuteuher -i
1906 through which these limos passed