HISTORY AND PROGRESS. 199 



be planted so deep. The holes are dug about two feet and a 

 half deep and two feet square, the bottom being levelled and 

 rammed to make a firm foundation for supporting the buckled 

 plate ; and when the post is put up, the earth is rammed in, if 

 possible with stones, above the level of the surrounding 

 ground. In putting up these posts the lower tube, or socket, 

 is first fixed, and afterwards the conical main, or upper tube, 

 and the lightning guard. 



This post is strengthened in points of unequal strain by 

 means of stays. The stay consists of a length of steel wire 

 held to the upper part of the post by a collar of wrought iron 

 and looped at the lower end to a hook at the end of a stay- 

 rod, attached to a plate of iron, buried in the earth at a 

 distance of twelve feet or so from the post. The stay is 

 tightened by pushing the iron collar up the post. 



When the posts are erected and the insulators fixed, the 

 wire is hung up and stretched. In open country the wire is 

 coiled upon a drum mounted upon a carriage, and is paid 

 out from post to post ; but when the line is much obstructed 

 by trees, etc., the coils of wire are set upon drums on three- 

 legged stools. 



Another arrangement for this purpose consists of a skeleton 

 iron drum, one side of which is removable to admit of the 

 coils being slipped on. The axis of the drum is hollow, for 

 a pole to be put through it, that it may be carried by two or 

 four men one or two at each end of the pole. The end of 

 the wire being made fast at starting, it is allowed to unwind 

 as they walk along. 



The wire is laid down along the line at the bottom of the 

 posts, in which position it is examined and suspicious places 

 repaired. The wire is made fast at one end, then lifted into 

 the hooks of the insulators, or tied to the bells, according to 

 their form, and stretched by means of the winch, shown in 

 Fig. Ill, made fast to the next ordinary post beyond the 

 stretching post to which the wire is to be fastened. The end 

 links of a chain are hooked on to the two vertical pins a a, at 

 the sides of the winch, the curved frame between them and 

 the foot a' resting upon the post. The wire is grasped by 



