Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-07-13
INTIERCITY CONDUIT
PHONES SOON READY
Service From Boston to Wash
inGtOn, Via Wilmington
Shortly

Before the end of the present year It
is expected that the telephone conduit
between Boston and Washington, by
way Of Wilmington, will have been
completed. When this is done 1t will be
possible for a conversation to be heard
over it from one end to the other. This
was not expected when the line was
begun, for at that time it was not
possible to hold a conversation for a
distance Of more than a hundred miles
by the underground system.
The American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, which Is the parent
company of the Bell Telephone sys-
tenn throughout the country, has just
finished the laying OF the conduit from
Baltimore to Washington. The portion
OF the Tine between Philadelphia and
New York has been In use for two or
three years, and that between Phila-
delphia and Wilmington is also now in
service. A portion of the New York
Boston line is complete and in use,
but that part of the line between
Washington and Wilmington may not
be open for several months.
Many Wires In Cable.
The cable which is to go into the
conduits is now being made and is
an intricate piece of work The cable
carries "A pairs of copper wires of
different sizes intended, some for tele-
phone and others for telegraph SER
vice. As soon as the cable is completed
the company will rush work on plac-
ing it in the conduit.
The conduit is of wood specially
treated to lengthen its life. The num-
Der of ducts varies, but between Bal
timore and Washington the number
is four, except where local conditions
require more, as in passing through a
town. Every 500 feet there is a hole
constructed of concrete. For the maxi
ing of these manholes the company
established a plant. Besides each man
hole and setback from the road is a
marker of concrete to show the ex-
act position of the manhole.
The line follows the main road or
old post road between Washington
and Boston, and many bridges had to
be crossed. From Baltimore to Wash
ington the old Washington road Is fol-
lowed, and northward the old Phila-
delphia pike is the route.
End of Overhead Wires.
When the new system is put in use
the use Of overhead wires for through
service will be abandoned. This was
not the calculation when the conduit
line was planned. At that time it be-
ing possible to talk for only a limited
distance over underground wires, the
conduit system was intended merely to
avoid the interruption due to storms
and such unforeseen causes. In other
words, the conduits we're intended
merely as an auxiliary to the overhead
lines for long distance service Now
however, such improvements have
been made in telephoning that late
experiments show that it will be pos
sible to talk to Boston from Wash
ington direct, without the message
having to be relayed- Therefore, it is
expected that overhead wires will be
done away with for through business
for the entire route.
Thus, If person in Boston wants to
talk to Washington, the message Will
90 underground for the entire dis
lance. This ell give practically a
storm-proof system for the principal
cities of the Northern Atlantic sea-
board. It was the original expectation
that in case of interruption Of the over
head service a message would be got
ten from one end of the line to the
other by relaying 1t from city to city
underground.