Did you know that with modern technology it takes 1 full day to install just 3 telegraph poles, depending on terrain and conditions of course. Sometimes without heavy machinery it’s just impossible to do.
And yet, in 1861 starting July 4th 250 poles were installed per day! none stop for the next 3.5 months and finishing October 24th same year 1861. In total of 27500 telegraph poles holding 2000 miles of wire are not only erected but wires installed and connected ready to use immediately in just 110 days.
Let’s do the math:
27500 total poles / 110 total working days = 250 poles fully wired and completed Daily! – Western Union company contractors: western and eastern team. Both teams were incentivized by bigger pay and ability to use telegraph services if complete your side of the project first. They were working simultaneously untiringly non-stop on this project during war using shovels and axes and oxen. Starting July 4th Independence day…probably afternoon…after all the barbecues, probably as an excuse to get away from wives to not wash dishes afterparty.
So that must be one of the most exuberantly swift construction projects ever. And it becomes really compelling how exceptionally fast it was done and completed. Doesn’t it bring a thought or two of how in the world it was possible to accomplish such a big and fundamental project in literally a few days?
It takes months to go through all the due diligence with planning, engineering, finding contractors in other words work force, cutting down 27500 trees and preparing them by treating in creosote. For example nowadays in the US wooden poles are treated with pentachlorophenol, or PCP also known as “penta”. It’s an industrial strength preservative used in wood pole treating since the 1930s, but back in 19th century they used creosote. Creosote is a category of carbonaceous chemicals formed by the distillation of various tars and pyrolysis of plant-derived material, such as wood, or fossil fuel. The coal-tar variety of creosote, having stronger and more toxic properties, has chiefly been used as a preservative for wood back in 19th century. The typical utility pole runs about 40 feet in length, of which 6 feet is buried in the ground and about 200 or more feet apart from each other or more greatly depending on local terrain\. Imagine transporting them, installing each and everyone of them and not to forget each tree/pole weighs from 1500 pounds, fresh cut trees. Also throwing wire on them and digging holes for the next poles.
All in all, sounds like a walk in the park, right? 😊 Or are we told only half of the truth? Were there 10s of thousands of workers working around the clock? How in the world was possible to accomplish all this work with in 110 day?
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