Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-08
LOOK FOR TROUBLE
HOW SUCH is DETECTED I'm ,r,n
TELEPHONES OF THIS
CITY.

Methods Conducted In Running Dowr,
Defects Is interesting to Everyone
Delicate and Costly Apparatus Used
mathematics to be Dealt With.
Eyes, we are always looking for
trouble" said a representative Of one
Of the local telephone companies the
other day, "and strange as 1t may
seem, 1t is sometimes difficult to find
it." ~
Though it would seem like a sorry
joke to say trouble is hard to find, 1t
is no joke in the telephone business.
In fact so important Is the quick dis.
covery and cure of troubles that the
company has a regularly organized de-
partment for the purpose, which from
the users standpoint Is probably the
most important department in the bust
ness, as a telephone Sin trouble is
worse than none at all.
"The methods used in locating and
quickly adjusting trouble in the tele-
phone system testify alike to the
splendid organizations Of the company
! and the progress Of invention in cleo
trical devices.
Hello central, our telephone 2643,
is out of order is the usual way the
tip Of trouble reaches the office.
".Can you get the exchange is the
| trouble clerks question.
I'VE can't get anything is usually
| the response, in tones expressive of nj
great satisfaction over the situation.
with this clue the trouble depart
ment begins work. Perhaps in the
course of an hour the SUBSCRIBERS bel
will ring.
"Do you hear me now?" will come
| the question in gentle tones from the
exchange.
! "Of course you do and the girl knows
you do, but she has simply adopted this
polite way of informing you that your
telephone is ready for talking again.
"In many cases your messages thai
| the trouble Is over does not roach yor
over the wire. Frequently within a
half hour after the subscriber has re
ported trouble an electrician with {
| carpet bag full of tools walks into YOU
office and calmly begins 'tinkering
with your telephone. This means tlla
tests made at the central Office show
the trouble to be in the subscribers
instrument. In the former case The
| trouble was either in the exchange OF
along the outside lines.
| "In the larger exchanges the 'trou
BILE men are assigned to districts
| with which they are thoroughly fanil
lar. When bit of trouble is reported
to the main Office it is jotted doWr
1 by the special clerk, who refers hel
notes to the wire chief for thorough
i Investigation. He, by means of a vol
meter, determines where the trouble
lies and what it's nature is and report;
lit to the district trouble man. T!le
| yoltmeter makes it possible under fav
orable conditions to determine within {
| few feet Just where a break, crossed
wire or grounded wire is located i
| is this machine which has solved the
problem of quick repair.
! Wires in Lead Pipe.
"In modern telephone construction
the larger part of the trunk lines ru1
through lead cables. In this form o
construction trouble on the outsid,
L SySleIu Is ICuuCCu W a
| When trouble does develop in a ca
BILE line the method Of discovering 1t Il
most complex and delicate.
/ "The lead pipe contains from 80 t
300 pairs of wires, wrapped in pape
I tape and twisted into compact cord
Paper insulation is considered tn,
best for telephone wires. 1t is neces
sary however that the cable be KEEP
absolutely moisture proof, hole ever
! the size of pin point seriously inter
Ifering with it's proper working. Whel
| trouble develops in any particula
cable it is located by opening the ca
BILE at the various repair boxes ant
testing"
IN this way the section Of cable II
which the trouble is located is discov
cred.
ITO ascertain the exact spot wher
the trouble is located very delicat
and costl:' piece Of apparatus is used
This consists Of a battery, galyanomeI
err, resistance box and bridge Th
method consists first. in finding goo,
wire through the cable, or. if the en-
tire cable is bad, stringing MI aeria
lime outside the cable One end Ct TIL
! good wire is then connected to on,
/ side Of the test and the distant end q
the defective wire. The battery il
then connected UP and a CIR, ent i
sent through the wire, CAUSING tn
galvanometer needle 20 Aaciuate. TIL
! known resistance in the Resistance
box is then varied until point i
reached where the needle fails t,
ltremble. This is when the known an,
unknown resistance on the OPPOSITE
sides Of the test are equal. With tn