The telegraph manual: a complete history and description of the semaphoric, electric and magnetic telegraphs of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, ancient and modern.

716 REPAIRING OF TELEGRAPH LINES.
In a word, the repairer should see that the wire is insulated by
a non-conductor from everything that is a conductor throughout the whole line.
Fourthly, and finally-to secure the permanency of the structures of the line.
On every line of telegraph, some of the poles will decay before others. When such cases occur, new poles should be substituted without delay. If they are permitted to remain, the
wind will sooner or later level them to the earth. Communication will then be interrupted, perhaps for a day or more,
until the poles are replaced by others. As a question of economy, no one can doubt but what it will be much better to
replace the decayed pole before its fall, bringing with it to the
earth the wire, and interrupting communication.
It is often the case, that the water settles around the foot of
the post, and, the earth yielding to the pressure, the pole bends
over, or perhaps falls. The repairer should watch for such cases,
and immediately rearrange the earth around the pole, or place
stones around it, or drive small pieces of timber into the loose
earth, to make it more compact, and to serve as braces to the
pole. On lines using the open or groove insulator, it often
occurs that the strain of some half mile of the wire will be on
a single pole, placed at an angle. When this is the case, the
pole is sure to bend or warp, and perhaps force through the
earth. In such contingencies, the wire on the next poles, on
each side, should be keyed, so that the strain upon the one
pole will not be more than the two stretches.
I have now sufficiently explained the duties of a repairer.
If what I have said be properly studied and practised by those
employed in that particular service, I think the lines will
be benefited, their economy will be subserved, and the public
good will be greatly promoted by the increased facilities for
telegraphing.
On lines where there are not employed special repairers, a
corps of men should travel over the whole route in the spring
and in the fall, and perfect the line in every particular, as
herein before mentioned. This should be considered by every
company as indispensable.
There are many telegraph lines in America, built with
galvanized wire. Some telegraphers are of the opinion that
the joints made of this wire do not require to be soldered.
Such, too, was the opinion among practical telegraphers fifteen
years ago, in regard to the ordinary wire not galvanized.
Complaints are made against soldered connections on galvanized lines, because the wires break oftener at the splicings than