[Trade Journal]
Publication: Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers
London, England
vol. 5, no. 13, p. 262-268, col. 1
THE PERSIAN GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPHS.
By A. HOUTUM SCHINDLER,
Inspector-General of Persian Telegraphs.
The first telegraph line was erected in Persia in 1859 from Teheran to Sultanieh, a place of little importance, about 160 miles from Teheran, on the road to Tauris. The conductor consisted of three kinds of wire—a thin copper wire, a thin iron one, made at Ispahan, and a galvanised iron wire of 2.50 millimetres diameter, bought in Russia— and was insulated with small earthenware insulators of a cylindrical shape, made at Teheran; the wire was wound round each insulator. The instruments were Breguet's alphabetical dials. This line worked for only one summer; the Shah left Sultanieh in the autumn, and the line, being of no further use, was demolished.
A line from Tauris to Teheran was erected in the following year (1860). Half of it was 4 millimetres wire, the other half was less than 2.50 millimetres. The insulators were made at Teheran, of a sort of porcelain dust and earthenware mixed, and were of a curious shape. Seen from the side they resembled the letter J; a nail at the top fastened them to the post, and the wire was suspended by the lower part. These insulators were found useless, and were next year replaced by some bought in Europe. The line worked at intervals till 1869, when it was replaced by Siemens's line.
In 1863 the Teheran-Tauris line was continued to the Russian frontier on the Arras River by a line of 3 millimetres diameter, insulated by French porcelain insulators. In this year embossing Morse instruments were bought from Forsterling, of St. Petersburg.
In 1863 the English Government also began to erect a line, of No. 5 galvanised iron wire (B.W.G.) on wooden poles, and Siemens's iron-hooded insulators, from Bushire to Teheran, and thence to Khanegin on the Turkish frontier, on the road to Bagdad. This line worked through from Bushire to Bagdad on the 13th October, 1864.
In this same year two other lines were completed by the Persian Government. One went from Gasvin to Resht, and was constructed of all sorts of wires and insulators, the remains of the former lines ; it worked for two years, was then on the ground for two years, and was repaired or rather re-erected in 18,69 with No. 5, B.W.G., wire and Russian double-bell porcelain insulators. It works now. The other line joined Teheran with Astrabad, vi& Firiukilh, Sari, and Barfunish. It was at first well insulated by French insulators, had straining-posts with ratchets, and 3 millimetres wire. As it was not kept in repair it was soon for the greater part on the ground, and not long after deserted.
In 1869 a second line was commenced between Teheran and the Russian frontier ; it was No. 5, B.W.G., wire, insulated by Russian double-bell porcelain insulators. The arrival of Mr. Siemens in this country put a stop to the works, which had progressed for a distance of eighty-five miles.
The English Government had drawn a second wire from Bushire to Teheran and Kermanshah in 1867, but gave up the line from Teheran to Kermanshah and Khanegin in the early part of 1870. The Persian Government rolled up one of the wires from Teheran to Kermanshah and used it for other lines.
By autumn 1870 the Persian Government finished a line of No. 5, B.W.G., wire, on wooden poles, and Russian double-bell insulators, from Teheran to Astrabad, via Shahrud. It works well at present.
Siemens's line from Teheran to Tauris and the Russian frontier was opened for traffic on the 31st January, 1870. It consists of three wires of No. 5, B.W.G., supported on iron poles, and insulated by Siemens's iron-hooded insulators.
In 1872 a branch line, joining the important town of Khoi with Tauris, was constructed. The line went from Khoi to Merend, on the Indo-European Telegraph Company's line, between Tauris and the Russian frontier, and was No. 5 wire and Russian double-bell insulators. It works now.
In 1873 branches were erected joining Dowletabad, the principal place of the Malayer district, Sultanabad, the principal place of the, Irag district, and Burujird, with each other and with Hamadan. These branches are working well The English Government changed its wooden poles for iron posts, and finished a third wire from Bushire to Teheran in 1874.
The telegraph lines which are at present existing in Persia are as follows:—
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There are 2,182 miles of wire worked by the Persian Government, 1,470 miles by the English Government, and 830 miles by the Indo-European Telegraph Company, making a grand total of 4,482 miles of wire worked in Persia. The distances are only approximate: real through measurements have hardly ever been taken in this country.
The Persian Telegraphs are held by the Director-General for a certain sum, which he annually pays to the Shah, and he works them at his own risk, profit, or loss.
The expenditure for the year of the Hejreh 1291, that is, from 17th February, 1874, to 6th February, 1875, amounted to 358,510 francs, including all salaries, maintenance, and repairs of lines, purchase of necessary stores, &c. For the year 1292 (6th February, 1875, to 27th January, 1876) the expenditure amounts to 450,000 francs, as 375 miles 4 millimetres wire, a few thousand small Russian double-bell insulators, and 1,000 Siemens's insulators for iron-posts have been bought. The wire will be used for the line from Shahrild to Meshhed, 296 miles, now in course of construction, and for connecting some small outlying stations with the main lines. The lines to be constructed after the Meshhed line are the Astra-IAA-Sari, the Ispahan-Yezd-Kerman, a line to Kurdistan, and some smaller ones.
Excepting a small part near the Turkish frontier all the lines are on wooden poles. For the purpose the Oriental plane, the poplar, and the mountain cypress are employed. The latter is the best wood we have for telegraph poles : it grows in Gilan and Majen-derail, and can easily be got in straight poles of five to six metres in length. It is called "Avers," or "Sary i Kuhi," i.e. mountain cypress. Our wire is for the greater part No. 5, B.W.G. (5.5 millimetres); a large part of the lines consists of No. 8 wire, and a very small part of No. 11. Of insulators we have Siemens's iron-hooded, Russian double-bell, large and small, and a few old French insulators; we also use many insulators of different shapes, made at Teheran, of porcelain bells or cylinders with iron hooks. Some of these latter answered very well indeed; we place them now generally in the plains, and use the stronger and better European insulators for mountainous parts of the country. This year we have made a new kind of insulator: it consists of an iron semicircle, to which is welded an upright iron hook, holding a porcelain double-bell. The semicircle is fastened to the pole by two stout nails, and can be bent so as to fit any sized pole. The bell is fastened to the hook by a cement made of gypsum, to which a very small quantity of glue has been added.
The following table gives the number of offices, instruments, and the staff of the Persian telegraphs. The offices are open all day only, during the nights they are closed. The instruments are mostly Morse, with relay made by Siemens. Some are without clockwork: a few of the old Russian Morse instruments also exist.
The batteries in use are principally Daniell's ; we have also a few Meidinger's and Minotto's. The higher grade signallers also do duty as inspectors.
TABLE showing Offices, Staff, Instruments, Batteries, of the, Persian Government Telegraph, 1st Muharrem, 1298 (28th January, 1876).
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which, added to the total number of the staff shown in the table, gives a grand total of 287.
We have a number of signallers who can work the three different alphabets in use in our department of Morse adapted to Persian language, the Morse as used in European administrations, and, the Morse as used in Turkey, that is five different alphabets in all, with equal facility. Thirty words, of a length of five letters, per minute is about the average speed.
Regarding the number of messages sent and received no proper registers exist at present. All Government messages are gratis and, no register is kept of them; service messages and other free messages are also not registered. Only the paid messages are counted, and they amount for the year to somewhat over 175,000 ten-word rates. The Government messages for last year I estimate at about 400,000 ten-word rates, and the service and other free messages to about 100,000 rates, making altogether a grand total of 675,000 rates transmitted in the interior. The rates for messages in the interior are 2.50 francs for the first ten words, and 2 francs for every additional ten words or part of ten words.
The average number of international messages terminating and originating in Persia is 160 per month; the international messages in transit are counted in the returns of the Indo-European Telegraph.
I may add, that the erection of the line from Shahrild to Meshed has been commenced, and will probably be finished before the autumn.
LINE SHAHRUD TO MESHED.
The construction of this line was begun on the 23rd May and completed on the 31st July, 1876. The length of the line is 271 miles. It was opened for traffic on the 3rd August. The wire is galvanized iron wire of 4 millimetres diameter (No. 9, B.W.G.) The poles are poplar and fir. The insulators are double porcelain bell, with screw or with hook and nails. The line has eight stations, viz. Rahmetabad (opened during the winter only), Meiomey, Miandasht, Abbasabad, Mazinfin, Sabzvar, Nishapiur, and Meshted. At Sabzvar are translating instruments. The instruments are Siemens's Morse with polarized relays, but without writer and clockwork, work being done by sound.
The workmen suffered much from want of water and from heat. Daring the months of June and July the heat in the plains, ,with a cool wind blowing, rose to 140 and 141 degrees Fahrenheit, while the heat in the shade once rose to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Great anxiety was felt on account of the Turcomans, who were expected to attack us every day while we were in the four stages known as the " stages of terror " (Shahrild to Mazinitn), but not a single Turcoman was seen.
