Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19
WHY MESSAGES ARE LATE

request to "Please rush it, he fails
to consider the many distractions that
can intervene to prevent its prompt
transmission. Most of them know
that an operator makes a lot of queer
little dots and dashes which convey
what they wish said to friend In
some distant place. Most of them
know that these dots and dashes go
over a wire, which, as far as they
know, is a permanent affair, always
waiting to carry it's burden of Morse
characters.
The wires are the principal asset of
the telegraph business, but, as far as
their being always in working order,
nothing could be farther from the
truth. More things can happen TO
telegraph wire than any one thing in
America if you listen to the men VINO
are responsible for their working con-
dition.
Hot weather, cold weather, rain, sleet,
snow, wind, floods, lightning, train
wrecks. wind, floods and in fact al
most everything you may mention can
disturb telegraph wires. In every large
office there are from one to ten men
who do nothing but keep the wires IN
working condition. All the wires are
run into a switchboard for testing pur-
noses and 1t is at this board that the
men who test them are designated, do
their work.
When a line is constructed the wires
are strnug on glass insulators, which
are screwed on pins, attached TO cross
arms, which are in turn attached to
the poles The glass is a nonconduc-
tor and is used in order that the elec-
tric current which transmits the dots
and dashes may not be interfered with.
home
from a hunting trip selects these glass
insulators as good targets. He often
has heard of clay pigeons, and mere
are glass pigeons all set up and ready
TO be shot. Boys walking along the
railroad tracks to and from SWIM
in the river or creek, also select them
for targets and proceed to throw the
ballast: If the ballast be stones ana
break the glasses. The result is tnat
the wire is torn loose from IT'S lnsula-
tion. falls down and rests on the cross
arm This doesn't cause great amount
of trouble in dry weather, but when
n rains or SHOWS, and the wooden
cross arm becomes wet, part or tie
electric current supposed to be DONG
voemen service carrying dots ana
dashes, follows the patch of least re-
sistance, sneaks along or through tne
wet cross arm, and is lost with the
thousands or Otner CuTTeHiS WIN "iiiN'
the earth Is filled.
If two wires are lying on the cross
arm. the electricity from one goes VS.
iting with the current from the other'
forming a light cross This means
work for the wire chief, and at a tlmA
when he is very busy. He must get
ont an instrument used for locating
escapes or leaks and find where the
insulation is poor. If the wire Is WoiN-
able at all. its efficiency for carrying
messages is reduced from 2O TO 81 per
cent. If your message is in the Of
Goo ar that time II is subject to delay
The same trouble results when the
foliage of the trees extends out into tile
telegraph wires. The current lexis
through the green branches, and the
same method is used for locating the
trouble. The line reparer goes out to
trim the trees, If he is not interfered
with.
In cold weather the wires contract
lxinl, nm and break. In hot weather
they expand, and become so slack that
the wind swings them until they bump
together. or against some object. In
either case the wire chief must find the
trouble, as the wires must be in good
condition to carry the message with
speed and accuracy. Every time
wire swings against another wire or
an object such as tree, 1t lnter1efes
with the clear transmission or the
Morse characters.
Train wrecks seldom happen without
breaking down several poles. Many
times fifteen wires are put out or com
mission by a wreck. Tt then develops
uDon the wire chief to find wires to De