BELL SYSTEM SLEET STORM MAP 121 



There are in the Bell System approximately 14 million poles, 

 carrying nearly 4 million miles of open wire of which it is estimated 

 that about 9}4 million poles and 2]/ 2 million miles of wire are located 

 in what is known as the heavy loading area, some 2 l /2 million poles 

 and over 700,000 miles of wire in the medium area and about 2 million 

 poles and nearly 600,000 miles of wire in the light or no sleet area. 

 Nearly 70 per cent of the poles and aerial wire in the Bell System 

 are, therefore, periodically exposed to storms of heavy loading in- 

 tensity against which they must be designed, constructed and main- 

 tained in order that there may be minimum interruption of service 

 consistent with the practicable and economical design of the plant 

 as a whole. 



