The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-17
so NEAR AND
YET so FAR
Gov. Capper's Frisco Speech To
Be Heard Here.
Commercial Club Will Listen to
Kansas Day Address.
DISTANCE is 1900 MILES
Story of How This Has Been
Made Possible.
Many New Methods of Con-
structiOn Brought Into Use.

ciaI club-will listen to a speech by
Arthur Capper, governor of Kansas
delivered at the Kansas building az
the Panama-Pacific exposition, dis
lance from this city of approximate
ly 1900 miles. J. z. House, mayor OF
Topeka, will respond to the greetings
from Governor Capper. The question
Are you ready, Topeka ?" will be
asked at 1890 o'clock.
Members of the board of directors
of the Commercial club are asked to
attend the regular luncheon at which
Governor Capper's speech viii be
heard The attendance will be cor
fined to Commercial club members be-
cause of the limited accommodations.
1 There will be fifty-five receivers in
Stalled-one receiver to about three
son present will have a chance to heir
but a part of Governor Capper's
greetings. The receivers will be OF
the watch case" type, and will be
| attached to hooks under the tables.
/ E. C. Bowman, a division inspector
from Kansas City, is in charge of the
| installation work which began late
today.
How 1t Was Made Possible.
To make it possible for San Fran
cisco to talk to Topeka-wh1ch IS, of
course, only a part of the achievement
of talking from ocean to ocean-it was
necessary originally in building the
transcontinental line for the Bell Tele-
phone system to go over the entire
ground carefully and determine which
of the present types of equipment
could be used to advantage in giving
the ocean to ocean service.
The result of the Investigations de-
VelOped that a great many of the con-
struction methods and the equipment
would have to be changed and in
many cases new apparatus designed to
meet the severe conditions encounter
ed in transmitting human speech from
coast to coast.
One of the important items which
was brought out was the difficulty III
constructing a line of this nature
through the mountainous country, the
salt and sand desert, in the country
west of Denver. 1t is in this section
of the transcontinental line that all
conditions of temperature are en-
countered, from the cold of the noun
tain peaks to the Sitting heat of the
desert.
In this country the towns are few
and far between and it was Often
necessary to haul material over miles
and miles of rugged country, through
which roads had not as yet been built.
The hardships encountered by the
construction gang and distributors of
material can hardly be realized by one
who has not travelled overland, across
a country without roads.
Feeling that the methods of hand
ling construction gangs in an unset
tied country, with regard to feeding
them and giving them proper places
to sleep, were inadequate to meet the
conditions in the territory through
which the lines were to be built, the
promoters found it necessary to con-
struct a steel framework on ordinary
wagon-beds and cover the framework
with canvas to make what might be
called a movable tent" These wagons
were called by the pet name of Bell
Pullmans' by the men who lived in
them. Some of the ''Pullmans" were
moved by tractors-often five or six in
a string-making it all look like the
old stage coach days of prairie ca
ravans
Salt Storms Encountered.
Poles set in the salt desert soon af-
ter being placed in the ground were
encrusted with heavy crystals of salt
several feet above the ouTd-giving
them the appearance of frosted am
monIa pipes in a cold storage plant.
After salt storms the wires were often
coated with a frosting of salt.
The construction developed a post
hole digger which may interest far
mers. The ordinary method was too
expensive under the conditions in that
country, so machine was con-
trived on a wagon. looking like an
ordinary wood augur, which was
plunged into the ground, and in re-
volving bored out the soil like wood
shavings.
The wire used on the tranScontin-
entail line is copper and about the
thickness of a lead pencil. The dis
lance from ocean to ocean is 3,4O0
miles Four of these wires stretch
between New York and San Fran
cisco making two circuits, or a total
or 1S,60O miles of wire, weighing
total of almost six million pounds
In spite of the large sized wires
used, talking between New York and
San Francisco would not be possible,
were it not for the loading coils in
cults. Technically these coils prevent
dissipation of energy, and in this way
a greater proportion of the voice cur
rents are transmitted from the origin
ating point to the terminating station.
insulation was another important
construction item, and it was found
advisable to use what is known as the
double petticoated insulators.
Always on the Watch.
the entire tranScontinental line is
watched "a hours out of every day by
men specially versed in construction
methods, in order that any wire trou-
bic occasioned by storms and so on,
may be repaired with a minimum loss
of time.
for the voice to travel from New York |
to San Francisco. Showing the won
derfuI transmission powers of the !
transcoRtinental line, it is fact that |
it is not necessary to talk one bit |
louder in speaking between New York |
and San Francisco than in any ordin- |
airy use of the telephone.
An interesting exhibition of the |
powers of transmission over this line !
is given at the Bell exhibit at the San |
Francisco fair by transmitting the |
sounds of the ocean waves at Brigh- |