CONQUEST OF DISTANCE BY WIRE TELEPHONY 371 



By November 1910 the development situation in relation to transcontinen- 

 tal telephony had begun to crystallize, and during the following months 

 definite plans were made. 



Preliminary Transmission Study 



In this planning work, it was logical that the possibilities of reaching the 

 Pacific Coast on loaded lines without repeaters should again be considered. 

 A transmission-cost study made by Jewett and his associates (F.B.J. Memo 

 of December 6, 1910 to Gherardi) demonstrated that it would be economic- 

 ally unsound to attempt New York-San Francisco transmission without 

 developing an entirely new type of telephone repeater, then considered to be 

 a development possibility. 



On a non-repeater basis, to provide a satisfactory grade of transmission 

 according to standards of that day, it would have been necessary to use a 

 phantom circuit on j^ 5 BW'G wire (220 mil diameter, 774 lbs. per wire mile) 

 having entirely new types of insulators and loaded with new t^-pes of ultra- 

 high-efliiciency coils, all the way from coast to coast. On the other hand, 

 with a suitable type of repeater used in conjunction with loading, it should be 

 possible to use the existing 165 mil wires between New York and Denver in 

 conjunction with new 165 mil wires from Denver to the Coast. Jewett 

 believed that the cost of the repeater solution would be very small relative 

 to the cost differences between the two t}q3es of lines. The concluding 

 paragraphs of the December 6, 1910 memorandum are quite revealing: 



"As a result of this preliminary study, I am more than ever impressed with the 

 ver)^ great need for producing a satisfacton,' repeater for operation on loaded 

 lines if we are to establish a truly universal service on the North American con- 

 tinent on a paying basis as well as one of true economy. 



"From a preliminar>' study of the situation, I feel ver}' confident that if this 

 repeater matter is tackled in the proper manner by suitably equipped men working 

 with full coordination and under proper direction the desired results can be ob- 

 tained at a relatively small cost. I feel, however, that to achieve this result it will 

 be necessar>' to employ skilled physicists who are familiar with the recent ad- 

 vances in molecular physics and who are capable of appreciating such further ad- 

 vances as are continually being made, also that the work must be carefully super- 

 vised by some one having a full understanding of the requirements." 



Review of Repeater Situation 



This project transmission study occurred at a time when the repeater 

 problems were being carefully reviewed and analyzed, looking backwards, 

 and forward. 



Looking backwards, it will be recalled that mention has been made on 

 several occasions in this story of the efforts which were being made to learn 

 how to use the mechanical telephone repeater on loaded circuits. Little 



