Evening journal., 1912-02-15
WIRES TO
WASHINGTON
UNDERGROUND
Storms Next Inauguration
Day viii Not Prevent
News Distribution
PHONE CABLES BURIED
OUT OF ALL DANGER

Win great huHuVi VI eoheiN"'No
innat ng their booms in the nomina-
ton neid, and the conventions sun
sonie months of. it may seem little
early to speak of Inauguration day.
It IS only short twelve months away,
however. and one remembers with
shiver the icy blasts and sleet and
snow laden streets OF the capital when
President TAFT was inaugurated.
II was perhaps the worst Of a long
series of presidential Inauguration
davs that have almost without eX-
oention oeen stormy For years that
dav has become associated in the mind
of the observant American citizen with
everything that is inclemept-rain,
hail sleet and snow--and never was
this brought so forcibly to the atten-
ton of the country as that day upon
which President TAFT was inausu-
rated.
from communication with the outside
world "Wires down." was the al
most universal newspaper headline
AWires Down" Underground.
In 1913, however all this VIII pc
changed. The aerial telephone wires
viii still be down II is true MOI
sign of them will exist on the roaus
between Boston, New YORK fhliaueis
phia. Wilmington, Baltimore ana
Washington. Nevertheless, they VIII
certainly be vibrating with the "oIus
of the presidents speech ana tne ues- %
cription Of the inauguration DAY as
play and parade. -.
For underneath the roads have been
laid miles and miles OF conault'
through which have been pulled muir
wire cables, and not sign OF then
exists except every few hundred leel
a concrete post, which marks the si''
The American Telephone and rele'
oraph Company (BelT system) mas
becn al work ever since the last dis'
aetrous presidents day upon tn'
completion of this underground system
~ the cable at present in use between
Now York and Philadelphia, tormiht
what "a admittedly the longest circul
of ia kind. has been added a sectoi
hofween Philadelphia and Washington
10 be followed by the Boston-NeW ioi'
section. -, o.,,,
From a description OF the hugh caol
nv 1ocal Bell official we learn that III
side Inc lead sheath of the Philadel
rhia- Washington cable are las wires
a nairs of large and small gauge, III
s,letod with paper. Ninety-nine tele
rbooo and 296 telegraph communlca
,ns may be carried on at the sam
t~o communication may be hei
M onlv between the terminal cue
M hoth telcnhone and Telegraph ~
~, may be carried on between lieo
eiiate points as We'll
vo gain an idea of the quanlty
lc nsed i'm the Washington fhil'
0lnhfa section alone, II may De sla
o5 that the total length OF lne o'
tween these points Is i35 miles IN
,,ccessitatod the manufacture ot can
,ceiehine in all Approximately so,
,ooe reuuiring 1900 reels, with apo'
5OO feet of cable per reel
Ths line had to be carried parity
trenches along the highway, ana
MANY cases had TO be carried oV'
l,ridoes. thus entailing the solution
,osn1. Now construction problems. y
,r~frods of trench digging employ'
~ two kinds-one by means oil
ling machine which did the wol
af 6stv laborers, and the otner
means of trcnching plovs, drawn
mules or horses. driven tandem.
In crossing bridges many dinere
conditions were encountered. y
most frequent method empioyeo 'pI
vidcd for incas'ng the ducts IN a .
of creosoted plank, whicL was 81
nended under the floor Of the bridge
angle irons and wrought-iron nanss
I'M other instances the ducts were y
under the bridge flooring and cover
hy iron shields.