68 



BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL 



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delphia, the ca]:)le is routed to Reading touching Pottstown, Phoenix- 

 ville and other points. From Reading to Harrisburg the cable follows 

 closely the William Penn Highway, although in sections it was neces- 

 sary to obtain private right-of-way or to use longer routes removed 

 from this highway on account of the lines of various kinds already 

 in operation there. It is very desirable for economic reasons to 

 keep the length of these cables as short as possible and in some cases 

 this is absolutely necessary to obtain proper operating conditions. 



Fig. 7 — Cable Line on Seven-Mile Stretch of Lincoln Highway, 



be dismantled later. 



Aerial wire line to 



How^ever, the most direct routes cannot always be used, for many 

 obvious reasons, and this problem required careful consideration 

 in all sections of the cable. 



Between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh the Allegheny Mountains 

 had to be crossed and for this crossing only two general routes were 

 found practicable, the first following an existing pole line which is 

 the New York-Chicago telephone line through Lewuston, Altoona, 

 etc.. and which we may call the northern route, and second a southern 

 route through Shippensburg, Bedford and Ligonier for the most part 

 along the Philadelphia-Chicago line and also the Lincoln Highway. 

 A middle route which is now used for the Harrisburg-Pittsburgh line 

 was not seriously considered as the country was too rough for econom- 

 ical construction and maintenance and no important advantages 

 were to be obtained. After careful surveys and cost studies, taking 

 into account all existing and anticipated conditions, such as circuit 



