New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-15
LESSONS FROM THE STORM.
WIREEESS NOT AFFECTED.
Underground System zcith Washing
ton FaUOred and Criticised.

The storm of Sunday. which crippled the tee-
graph service among the principal cities OF the
East, and which cut off all communication oetwecn
New-York and Washington for twenty-four hours
has called forth considerable public comment Ia
vorins under ground telegraph service between
New-Yors and the capital II was suggested yes
terday In shipping circles and among men whose
business depends largely telegraph service that
the sooner the wireless system is put into opera
ton on land the better it win be for the United
States government and for in commercial
business ,
1t was said yesterday AT the offices OF the Mar
conf Wireless Telegraph Company that when the
storm of Sunday raging at its worst the wire
less apparatus of the Lucania. in port. was
receiving messages from point two hundred miles
distant on land. The operator who was receiving
said that messages came strongly and firmly and
were in way affected by the storm.
The managers of the American De Forest Wire
less Telegraph Company declared yesterday that
they intend 10 have wireless communication be-
tween New-York and Washington in short while
that will be absolutely stormproof. There Is a
wireless De Forest station nearly completed in
Washington, and after arrangements made for
receiving messages in New-York the managers de-
clare that it will be impossible for storms TO cut
off teegraphic communication between this city
and the capital
The managers of the Western Union and Postal
Telegraph companies said yesterday that the idea
of underground telegraph system between New
York and Washington not at all practicable.
When the advisability of underground service
was suggested to a representative Of the Western
Union yesterday, he said:
An underground service is out OF the question:
1t would be difficult to locate broken wires. ana
would cause an unusually long time TO repair
them. We could not get the service per wire Win
the underground system we do with the over
head wires. The earth is great conductor OF
electricity. and the leaking currents from the
many trolley lines between here and Washington
would have bad effect the underground SER
vice
representative of the Postal Telegraph Com
pany advanced the same views against the under
ground service, and said in addition:
We have had a sample OF the disadvantages of
the underground here this city. We ripping
of trouble and expense The currents of the trolley
lines of this city not alone affect our wires but
through the insulation of our cables We are
constantly repairing them to keep the service IN
shape. With the overhead wires IL is easy mat
ter to repair break We have gangs of men
working continually our wires. and il is not
difficult TO repair wire broken by storm, be-
cause can see it. The delay OF repairing an
underground break would cause most Improbable
delay to the public and to ourselves.
There is an underground service running out OF
London to Bristol, distance of hundred miles.
but l understand it is not a great success. The
enormous expense of putting in underground
service and the difficulty of getting franchises for
great distances make the idea wholly impractical BILE.
The telegraph rates altogether low
If were to Increase the present rate TO meet
the expense of putting in the underground service
there would be a protest from the general public.