The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-19
RAILROAD NEWS.
Quadruplex Telegraphy to Be
Used by Santa Fe.
Important Plans on Foot to Re-
lieVe OvercrOwded Wires.
TO STRING NEW WIRES
viii Necessitate Employment of
More Telegraphers.
Officials Not Ready to Make
Public Details of Plan.

Announcement is soon to be made by
the Santa Fe of an extensive pro-
gramme of improvements on the teie-
graph lines of the Santa Fe system,
involving the expenditure of much
money and the probable employment
of many more telegraphers than are at
present in the service of the company.
The quadruplex system of telegra ply
is to be introduced over large portions
of the road. where the business is es-
pecially heavy. In other places extra
wires will be strung. 1t is believed that
the quadrupIex system will be more
economical to the company than would
be the stringing of the vast quantities
of new wires which would otherwise be
necessary
The congestion of the telegraph bust
ness on the Santa Fe has been grauu
ally growing more severe, until IL has
become imperative that some measures
be taken for relief. With this in view,
and for the purpose of determining the
most satisfactory plans for improving
the facilities, Supt. &. G. Sholes of the
Santa Fe telegraph department, &C
companied by A. H. Gaunt, assistant
superintendent of telegraph for the
Northern Pacific, have just completed o
trip over all the western portion or
the Santa Fe lines, from Topeka to san
Francisco and from Denver to Il
Paso. Mr. Sholes also Travelled over
the Gulf. Colorado & Santa Fe. The
whole situation is now well IN hand,
and it is expected that within a sEoIt
time definite announcement viii be
n AIDE to the extent of the improve
ments decided upon.
Mr.. Sholes today declined to talk
about his plans, but stated that the
company would probably decide WITHIN
realy hot done
The Santa Fe is not the only road
which is suffering from an excess OF
Geographic business The general IN
crease in the business of railroads dur
ing the past few years has been bring
ing about the changed conditions, and
now many roads are utterly unable to
take care of the business which comes
along. Some roads follow a regular
system of sorting kilograms. in which
the most important messages are sent
by wire, and everything which can pos
sibly be delayed is forwarded by train
In this way they are able to handle
increased business with the old facili-
ties.
The management of the quadruplex
system of biography is complicated
business, and required the highest skill
of the operator. Two messages are sent
at the same time in each direction over
one wire. The instruments have to be
very delicately adjusted. Many rail-
way telegraphers are opposed to the
quadruplex system on this ground, but
it is claimed that the system is now
the most economical and effective for
handling the heavy telegraph business
of railroads.
1t is said that the Santa Fe road is in
so much need of increased facilities
that it would have been obliged to
string 1000 miles of new wires at once,
unless it could install the quadruplcx
system instead Duplex telegraphy is
already in use on some of the crowded
lines of the company.
1t is not known where the quadruplex
system will be installed, but there VIII
probably be several reaches of quad
ruplex wires, extending from Chicago
as far west as La Junta, and possibly
further.
Assistant Superintendent Gaunt. of
the Northern Pacific, is the inventor of
a double wire system of telephoning
over telegraph lines, but it is not the
purpose of the Santa Fe to experiment
with this system at present. The Illi-
noiS Central is now adopting q tele-