South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-20
WARNS OF DANGER
OF TENSION WIRE
TO RADIO YOUTHS
Telephone Company Official
Declares Phone-Light Poles
Dangerous IN Use.

a warning 90 youthful radio fans
acaIns, The use ~ telephone or cleo
tr.c light poles Tor attaching aeriae
hes been issued by \. -. Lewis. d.
vision superintendent Of the Indiana
Sell Telephone Go. Danger exists
both On climbing poles and a.ciden-
tai coming into contact with high
voltage wires Also c0usldera BILE
DAMAGE TO the telephone company s.
lines has already resulted from such
practice. Lewis says.
Llnemen have been ingruc "a TO
take down all aerials found attached
go the company's poles" the c4lcial
declared in statement issued Mon
day. It follows
"SDce the rapid rise of the radio
ia south Bend AL Mishawa-c. tele-
phone poles and Electric light poles
are being utilized by youthfui en-
tnusiasts who apparently arc as
reckless as they are agile. and such
actions carry not Ouly Ii terrible
personal risk bur also greatly en-
danger the property or the telephone
company
Many OF rhe poles iu south Pend
and Mishawaka are Jointly occupied
bv electric light and telephone wires
and in such cases in order o. reach
the top If the pole where the serial
il fastened one must climb through
two sets OF wires Cf high voltage.
The primary wires carry 2.3oe wolfe
and upon coming in contact with the
body would produce instant death
by electrocution. The secondary
wires do not cary a. high voltage
bat would produce sufficient shock
10 throw a person from the pole. The
distance Of this tall would be a.reost
certain 10 result seriously, = not
fatally
while the personal hazards
should be enough 20 curb the ambi-
tions OF the young fan. the damage
that Is likely 10 occur 10 the prop
erty OF the telephone company is
considerable. Should the aerial wire
come in contact with the telephone
cable it would not only burn out the
cable sheath but also the telephone
protectors In nearby houses. These
cables are very expensive ard. IL
burned. the telephone service TO "A
large number OF subscribers would
be interrupted and il would require
the replacement OF an entire span
0f cable
IF the aerial should come in con-
tact with one Of the high voltage
lines while the boys were handling
m they would be instantly shocked
TO death such liberties a. boys are
taking len this respect are deliberate
acts Of trespass The most import
ant consideration is the danger TO
the lives OF the boys who do no. un-
derstand the danger 20 which they
expose themselves and the strong
probability Of serious Interruptions
10 the telephone service. Al tele-
phone employees have instructions
to remove and report all radio at
tachments which they find or the
company's poles.
This fad OF fastening radio aer-
ials 90 the telephone poles is not the
only way in which radio enthusiast
are causing telephone Officials "a
great deal Of worry. Many tele-
phone receivers have been confs-
Gated from public booths. hotels. and
other places for uze in radio re-
ceivers under the mistaken notion
that telephone receivers are ftted
for such use As a matter Of fact
they are altogether untitled fo~ radio
work so that such depredatiors are
not only vaIueless 20 the radio en-
thusiast but they cause the telephone
company considerable financial
loss