Destruction of telegraph insulator in Belgium

The Destruction of Telegraph Insulators.

Insulators have long been considered by the public as proper objects on which to experiment in the ancient art of stone-throwing, and in Belgium it would seem that the peasants have a special predilection for this kind of sport. M. Emile Pierard, telegraph engineer to the Belgium government, reports that, owing to the great destruction of telegraph insulators, it became necessary to employ some of an unbreakable nature. It was found, however, that these insulators, which were sunk in a protecting cover of galvanized iron, were both extremely heavy and extremely costly. Another system was therefore adopted. It was thought that the large white insulator generally employed naturally attracted the attention of individuals of a destructive turn of mind, and it was decided to experiment with one of a less obtrusive color. The porcelain enamel was colored a greyish brown by mixing a silicate with it. This process did not impair the insulation properties in any marked degree, and the color of the posts being also greyish brown, it was difficult to distiguish the insulator of each kind, arranged alternately. In one year 25 of the ordinary white insulators were broken, but only 13 of the colored ones. Taking into account the somewhat higher price of the colored insulators, but not the cost of labor in replacing the broken insulators, these figures mean an economy of about 42 per cent. All broken white insulators are now replaced by brown ones, and if these are broken, protected insulators are substituted.