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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aluvial" data-source="post: 2797408" data-attributes="member: 6862">Cost is definitely a factor.  Copper wire is definitely the best for the 'common' world, Elves might use silver just to make it fun...  Having worked in a limited capacity for a electrical co-operative designing both above and underground power, I want to add that timbering is an essential part of erecting a telegraph system.  Poles to hang the wire are essential for a successful operation.  Maintaining those poles and lines is also important.  Theft of the copper is also a real possibility.  Think of the common serf or peasant working near the poles in question.  They will eventually start trying to steal the wire to sell at a later point.  Copper is not cheap.  Back to the poles.  A common stretch of wire over 100 miles will have many poles.  Pole distance is determined by the thickness and tensile strength of the copper being used and by a number of other very important factors.  The engineering for the wire would have had to been developed at the same time.  Average weather would have to be considered, as well as a system designed for high winds.  Most systems in temperate climates are designed to withstand a 1/2 inch of ice and winds up to 45 MPH.  With those considerations in mind, and average span today would be every 200 to 400 feet.  200 feet between poles would be a good estimate for the time of an advanced fantasy world.  I think a mile is 5,280 feet, so 100 miles would have 2,640 poles.  That's a lot of lumber considering that most of this line would have to be at least 15' off the ground.  The reason you do that is not only for safety, but for security against theft.  Speaking of 15' out of the ground, the average depth of a sunken pole is 3' + 1' per 10' above ground.  So consider a 15' pole to be actually 20' long.  Pine is typically used for this endeavor because the trunks typically grow straight and fast.  Another consideration would be for maintaing the poles against termites and other boring insects.  Poles, even at conception, were treated against rot.  The average pole today has an average lifespan of 20 years, but they are aggressively treated.  Poles uses to be bored and filled with creosote ( <a href="http://www.chemicalexposureresource.com" target="_blank">http://www.chemicalexposureresource.com</a> /), a terrible chemical that is extremely carcinogenic.  Without wood treatment, meaning an aggesive use of chemistry (which opens up a huge can of worms when considering technological advancements), there would be no telegraph (Alchemy skills or minor magic could make up for this I suppose, Ironwood would be fantastic, although not many Druids would go for ruining the land with such deforestation).  As previously mentioned, mining operations would be a must, and consistency of the wire would have to be considered.  I disagree with insulation for the wire however, insulation for wire is a more modern convienece and had a lot to due will the invention of rubber and the vulcanization process (Goodyear, 1837 and 1844).  Although rubber was (just) available, it is not a necessity for the process to work.  Check out this link about the telegraph...  <a href="http://inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/media_2.htm" target="_blank">http://inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/media_2.htm</a>Another intersting fact is the rapid advancement of the radio after the telegraph.  Marconni invented and perfected this right before the turn of the 20th century I think in 1896.  <a href="http://www.marconiusa.org/marconi/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.marconiusa.org/marconi/index.html</a>  Although there were 60 years of telegraphy, the radio changed the way telegraphy was instituted.Here is an interesting site about inventions by subject and their invention dates.  Remember that even though the item in question was invented at that particular date, widespread acceptance and use was generally 2 to 10 years after the invention in question was created.<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20031012064709/www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/chem/patent/srs136.html" target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/20031012064709/www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/chem/patent/srs136.html</a>Hope this helps.  Aluvial</blockquote>

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