198 THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. 



length will permit, keeping the hand-lever as close upon the 

 joint as possible. When one end is completely twisted, the 

 wires are taken out of the clip, the twisted part placed in the 

 larger hole d, and screwed tight as before, The remaining 

 end is then bent up at a right angle and twisted round in the 

 same way. The complete joint, after being moistened with 

 a solution of chloride of zinc, is dipped into tin- solder, care 

 being taken that the solder adheres firmly to the wire and 

 fills up all the spaces between the twists of the joints. 



Erection of Overland Lines, -The erection of land lines 

 embraces very little which affords scope for the display of any- 

 thing beyond mere manual labour. The only work for the 

 engineer is to point out where the line is to cross roadways and 

 rivers, and when it is to make long spans and sharp angles. 



"When the line has been measured off and the materials 

 distributed to different points, the posts are carried to their 

 places for erection in the ground. It is sometimes preferable 

 to affix the insulators to the posts before the latter are put 

 up ; but this depends upon the kind of insulator used. The 

 posts are planted to a sufficient depth to give a firm hold 

 five or six feet for an ordinary wooden-^post -and the earth 

 well rammed down round it, with stones if they are to be 

 had. 



The posts which occur at angles, where a greater strain is 

 exerted on them, are strengthened by stays or by struts. 



The stays are of iron or of steel wire fastened by a ring or 

 bolt to the top, or near to the top, of the posts, and to wooden 

 pegs in the ground, fifteen or twenty feet from the post in 

 the direction opposite to the strain which is to be counter- 

 acted. 



The method of forming a strut by coupling two similar 

 posts together is that preferred in France. The ordinary 

 post has a notch about a foot below the top, on the side on 

 which the strain is directed ; into this notch is put the top of 

 another similar post, planted about a foot and a half or two 

 feet from the first one. The two are fastened together by an 

 iron collar or by a bolt. 



When Siemens' iron posts are used, they do not require to 



