For example if I were to take a 3ft long section of linen string, on each end of the string I put it into some kind of chuck like device or mabe a cone where the ends were compacted as much as possible, now I pull these two cones apart as far as I possible can stretch the string without it breaking. How much could I expect the center of that string to be compacted in relation to the ends of the string that were physically compressed?
My guess is that by compressing the string maximally you would actually weaken it at that spot, due to individual fibers breaking. So it would snap at one attachment point, and the center of the string would not be affected much.