The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-27
Telegraph Lines Fight Constantly
 With Elements

l The general public little realizes the continual struggle being waged between the telegraph lines and the elements. The telegraph operator, l having an intimate relation with the 1 business of electrical communication, understands the frailty of pole lines; | so does the linesman who responds | to the call of duty in all sorts of weathe- -~s5 plays a mans part in keeping open the various channels of 1 telegraphic traffic, under the direct 1 ing hand of experienced wire chiefs. The linemen sometimes suffer untold hardships, and risk their lives in the
 performance of their duties in restor- ing communication, rendering a ser vice not only to the company which
 employs them but to the community at. large.
 Laws enacted by the federal gov ernment and various states are de- 1 signed to safeguard the electrical ar i teries, which are so important to the
 welfare of the nation, from the de- structive hand of vandals. Heavy penalties are provided to punish those who Wilfully destroy or mOlest tele- graph or telephone wires, but the 1 deadliest foe to the magic trail along whose smooth metallic path whirs an endless stream of messages is, of course, bad weather.
 1 It may be a terrific wind storm which blows over the poles or it may be an accumulation of ice on the l wires which causes the slender strands to break from sheer weight, tangles
 the wires which cause the slender strands from sheer weight Extreme cold has a tendency to contract the 1 metallic strings, anad it is not an un- common, occurrence to find numerous circuits snapped in every direction following zero weather. In Califor-
 nia, the land of big trees big noun tains and big snows, the telegraph l linemen sometimes have to dig the
 wires out of the deep snow Again, tree may be felled by backwoods-
 man or as a result of an cratic bolt
 of lightning, directly across a tele-
 graph or telephone line, carrying the wires to the ground and rendering
 them useless until repaired. Even
 rain contributes to the uncertainties and risks incurred by wire systems Ordinarily, rain storms are not detri-
 mental to the operation of overland telegraph lines. In certain cases rain helps operating conditions, but when a heavy fall of rain succeeds pro- tracted dry speel, the dust which has gathered on insulators, cross-arms
 and poles becomes moistened and the
 resultant paste affords an excellent medium of escape for the current A
 little leakage on each pole soon
 causes the loss of considerable cur
 To render such circuits workable it is necessary to repeater them which means the introduction automatically of fresh electrical impetus at inter- mediate stations where equipment for that purpose is available.
 Cold weather contracts, and heat
 expands metal. Telegraph wires are
 manufactured of iron or copper, and
 to provide against the changing tenn
 perature during different seasons of
 the year, it is necessary to provide a
 certain margin of slack when string
 ing wires from one pole to another
 High winds frequently cause the
 wires to swing, and where too much
 slack has been allowed, they conr
 stantly collide with one another,
 causing tumble of signals, which is
 not only confusing put extremely an- moving to operators, and multiplies the possibility of errors. The wire chiefs at the large terminal offices endeavor to locate the exact section where the disturbance is most pro- nounced, and there are sometimes a
 number of wires through the storm area which are strangely unaffected by the trouble. These are substituted for the ones swinging to maintain long as possible important circuits over direct routes. When every wire on a particular pole line is affected, the only thing possible is to rearrange circuits avoiding the disturbed terri tory, or divert traffic over | other routes. This does not necessarily inn ply slower service. It is reasonable to assume, however, that the impair ment of large number of wires from any cause, cripples the facilities of the telegraph company and a congested condition is likely to occur on other circuits.
 Why don't the companies place the wires underground? you may ask. To the lay mind that is the solution promptly advanced on each occasion that the wires suffer annihilation through the elements. Apart from certain electrical objections which would have to be overcome, is the important item of expense. It would cost fabulous sum of money to bury the wires. Under normal conditions the wires work better overhead than underground. Induction Cor leakage from one wire to another without ac- tual contact) plays a large part in practical telegraphy and where the wires are laid close together, as in a cable, the problem becomes a serious one. Hence, it is not only the ex- pense involved which prevents the companies from putting their wires underground, but the added electrical difficulties. Doubtless these obstacles will be surmourted in time.-Erie R., l