The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-09-20
TROUBLE
is DILIGENTLY LOOKED FOR
THE TELEPHONE MAN
Says a Central Union
Representative.

Yes, we are always looking for
trouble;" said a local representative of
the Central Telephone company the
other day, and, strange as it may
seem, it is sometimes difficult to find
it."
Though 1t would seem like sorry
joke to say trouble is hard to find, it
is no joke in the telephone business.
In fact so important is the quick dis
covery and cure of trouble that the
Central Union company has regular
ly organized department for the pur-
pose, which, from the users standpoint
Is probably the most important depart
ment in the business, as telephone
''in trouble" is worse than none at all.
The methods used in locating and
quickly adjusting trouble in the tele-
phone system testifying alike to the
splendid organization of the company
and the progress of invention in cleo
trical devices.
Hello, exchange, our telephone,
Main 2643, is out of order" is the
usual way the tip of trouble reaches
Central.
Can you get the exchange" is the
trouble clerks question.
1--WE can't get anything" is usually
the response, in tones expressive of
no great satisfaction over the situation
With this clue the trouble depart
ment" begins work Perhaps in the
course of an hour the subscribers bell
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 message that
The trouble is over does not reach you
over the wire. Frequently within half
hour after the subscriber has report
ed trouble an electrician with car
pet bag full of tools walks into your
office and calmly begins "tinkering'
with your telephone. This means that
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 or
along the outside lines.
In the larger exchanges the trouble"
men are assigned to districts, with
which they are thoroughly familiar.
When a bit of trouble is reported to
n to-, 10 t. to- lnI 4 I,,t he
special clerk, who refers her notes to
the wire chief for thorough investi-
cation. He, by means of voltmeter,
determines where the trouble lies and
what its nature is and reports 1t to
the district trouble man. The volt
meter makes it possible under favor
able conditions, to determine within a
wire or grounded wire is located. 1t
Is this machine which has solved the
problem Of quick repair.
In modern telephone construction,
the larger part Of the trunk lines run
through lead cables. In this form of
construction trouble on the outside
system is reduced to minimum. When
siSupiV uoSo uSNSiop III " NopiS iihO
the method of discovering it is most
complex and delicate.
The lead pipe contains from 30 to
300 pairs of wires wrapped in paper
tape and twisted into compact cord.
Paper insulation is considered the best
for telephone wires. It is necessary,
however that the cable be kept alb
solutely moisture proof, hole even the
size of pin point seriously interfering
with its proper working When trou-
BILE develops in any particular cable,
1t is located by opening the cable at
the various repair boxes and test
ing"
To ascertain the exact spot where
the trouble is located, very delicate
and costly piece of apparatus is used.
This consists Of battery, galvano-
meter, resistance box and bridge. The
method consists first, in finding good
wire through the cable, or IL the en-
tire cable is bad, stringing an aerial
line outside the cable. One end of the
good wire is then connected to one side
of the test and the distant end Of the
defective wire. The battery is then
connected up and current is sent
through the wire, causing the galvan-
ometer needle to fiuctuate The known
resistance in the resistance box is then
varied until point Is reached where
the needle fails to tremble
This is when the known and un-
known resistance on the opposite sides
of the test are equal. With the re-
sistance in the bad wire known, II
is merely mathematical process to
discover how far from the testing ap-
paratus the trouble may be found, as
resistance is readily measured and the
amount the various sizes of wire car
ry is we'll known.