Belgium experiment changing colors of porcelain insulators to make them difficult targets

THE peasants of Belgium have a peculiar fancy for smashing the telegraph insulators, and as they have cultivated the ancient art of stone throwing to a point of considerable excellence, the destruction of the insulators has of late become a very serious question. An unbreakable insulator was devised, which was sunk in a protecting cover of galvanized iron; but this was found to be both extremely heavy and extremely costly. Another system was adopted. As it was thought that the large white insulator offered an irresistible attraction to individuals of a destructive turn of mind, it was decided to try the effect of a less obtrusive color, and the porcelain enamel was colored a greyish brown, the color of the posts, making it difficult to distinguish the insulator from its support. A line was selected and provided with 102 insulators of each kind arranged alternately. In one year twenty-five of the white insulators were broken, but only thirteen of the colored. All broken white insulators are ow replaced by brown ones.