The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-25
DEATH NAY LURK
in PHONE WIRES
TROUBLE SHOOTERS ALWAYS
FACE LIvE-WIRE DANGER.
nnocent-Looking Wire May Be Crossed
with Heavily Charged Trolley Line,
Two Recent Deaths Due to This I'M
foreseen Cause Work Requires Nerve
and Great Courage.

Trouble shooters are the men who
are paid to go about looking for trou-
ble,o said Arthur Won Schlegel of the
Northwestern Telephone company to.
day. If there. is any trouble, they
fix it; if they don It know of any, they
go out to find it; and if they can It find
trouble.
HThese men are employed by the big
telephone companies and their wages
are as high as any paid to skilled labor.
Not only does the work require brains
and skill, but it is full of danger, un-
expected danger that takes away the
breath of most men when they think
about it. During the past month tive
of the trouble shooters in Minneapolis
have met death in performing their
duty. In both cases the deaths cama
about in the ordinary days work. a
telephone wire is only charged when it
is being used, and then the charge is
not heavy enough to cause trouble. But
mile away the telephone wire may be
crossed with a trolley wire, and the in
death. Both accidents, I believe, re-
suited in this way.
"In Minneapolis there are twenty
| five expert trouble shooters, besides
those in reserve. Each man has dis.
trict, and there are chiefs over these
districts. Ordinarily, the men only work
during the daytime, as it is considered
too dangerous to work after dark. How
ever, during the past year there have
| been an unusual number of bad storms.
In such times, the men are called out to
work when they can see only by the
flashes Of lightning, when the wires are
in hopeless tangle, and the tall poles
are bent and twisted by the force Of
the storm.
Men Are Brave.
'The men go willingly to the work.
They are as brave men as can be found
any place ON the face of the earth.
In fact, to ordinary men their nerve
seems impossible. They seem to enjoy
the tornado struck Minneapolis last
year, hurry call was sent to Omaha,
Kansas City and all the nearest big
cities for expert men. They went to
work with will, and in a short time
had cut away the debris and were rig
ging up the wires.
Their ordinary work on the quiet
est days is strenuous enough. 1t may
be that they have simply to fix a tele-
phone in a house. Or it may be that
they have to string wire from one pole
to another. L have seen shooter take
a small board, placing it on four wires,
and draw himself along from one pole
to another, fifty feet above the ground
with as little concern as the ordinary
man takes a trolley ride. It is easy
enough to crawl up a pole with climbers
but coming down is always hard enough
job. When the man gets to the TOP
of the pole he has to put his whole
weight on the climbers SO as to work
with his hands. [ have seen men fol
hours work on the top of pole when
people on the street were shuddering in
heavy overcoats. Their kit, which is
, strapped over their shoulders, is heavy
Coils Of wires are carried, tools, glass
insulators, clamps, hatchets, etc.
: "There seems to be fascination in
r the life. The men start as assistants tt
p the linesmen and learn little by little
, where trouble should be looked for
s They are fine lot of fellows, happy-go
lucky, and yet not spendthrifts. They
t rarely lose their temper, no matter wha
: they are required to do. Perhaps som,
t careless lady has stuck hatpin acros
Y the top of the telephone, or perhaps i
: is tornado that has wrecked tn,
wire.'