The development of a suspension-type insulator

Discussion at Worcester E. M. Hewlett: In trying various materials in experimenting on the first suspension-type insulator we found that any compound or any material that can carbonize, will carbonize. I am in hope that by distributing the strain in the way that Professor Smith has done, the carbonization will be reduced and the life of the rod lengthened, but it seems that in this electrical work, anything that can happen will happen. For instance, when an insulator is subjected to fog, you get a little dampness on the surface. Or when you get it out in the Middle West, in the Salt Lake section, where you get alkali dust, then you get a surface condition that will start a little static and start a little leakage. These conditions, with the available materials, are likely to result in deterioration.