Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-07-17
THE BRAZILIAN CABLE.
DcP"''"'" ~ the Laying Expcslilto
from Rcnr IA ,,si


hcp"r"" "f the Laying Expedition
from fcs8la Dsst.
The departure from England of the
BRAZILIAN cable expedition is ant,cipa-
TED III the most recent London news
paper. Double interest is attached to
tho event, following us it does SO soon
after the start OF the fourth Atlantic
cable squadron. The cable in question
will be laid along the coast Of south
America, from Para to Pcrnambuco,
and Will form part of an extensive line
OF communication with the Brazils.
Other sections will be laid i'll due
course from Perm,lnbuco to Rio
(ir"n'lc, with station ut Bahia, and
from Para to St. Thomas in the West
Indies
1.-The cables taken by the present
cxpcdltlon,' says the London Times.
''are OF several types, but may be
divided generally into three sections
namely, tho shore ends, the intermcdi.
ate cables, and the doep-sca cables.
Tho cones are all composed of seven
strands of copper wire, insulated with
Hoopcr,s patent india-rubbcr felt, and
then with jute yarn. Tho main cable
cones are covered respectively with
nlne and twelve galvanized homoge-
ncOlls IRON wires, each wiro being en-
velopcd in yarn stepped in tar and
further served with u similar warn.
Coat'nss OF asphalt and silicate COM
pound arc also applied with further
further layers of yarn. The cones
of tho intermediate cables arc covered
with ton and twelve wires respectively.
and the shore ends are similar to the
second OF the main cables with a
further shcathing of twelve galvanized
iron wires and three coatiDgs of the
asphalt and silicatc compound, with al-
ternate layers Of jutc yarn.''
The cables IRE laid for the Western
Brazilian Telegraph Company. The
ship which will carry the cables was
built expressly for that purpose, and
| this vessel. which is named the Hoop
| er, is I'LL iron built screw vessel of five
Thousand tons register; she is three
hundred and sixty feet in length over
all, thirty -six in depth, and with fifty-
five feet beam. She has four iron
decks and n double bottom, divided
irto compartments for water ballast.
She is fttcl with three iron cable
tanks, tho largest being fifty three feet
i'll diameter, and each ono is thirty
feet deep. The Hooper is propelled
10y double-bladod screw driven by
compound, surfacc-condensiDge engines
the halt pressure cylinder being fifty
two inches in diameter, with q forty
! eight inch stroke, and the low pressure
cylinder ninoty-two inches in diameter,
the piston rods being carried up through
the cylinder covers. The engines arc
placed we'll aft, and take steam from
four circular mulitubuiar boilers. Be-
! sides the ordinary screw propeller. the
Hooper is fitted with small supple.
mcntary or transverse screw placed q
short distance inwarls from the pro.
Pellor screw along the keel, and driven
by a pair OF small but powerful engines
ma deckhouse. The object of this
screw is to mannuvre the vessel while
laying the cablc, ut such times ia il
may be necessary to remain on one
spot. The arrangement has been tried
and is stated to have answered admir-
ably, 50 that the main engines being
stopped, and tho transverse screw
started, the shipcan be kept practically
stationary or lowering about one pre-.
else point. One important point il that
the iron cable tanks having been built
into and with the ship, instead of hav-
ing to be added afterward, are an ele-
ment of strength instead of, as in some
| cases, being IL source Of weakness.
The machinery on board the Hooper
for laying and picking up is much the
same in its general character, as IN
| other vessels fitted out for a similar
purpose, although variations have been
introduced in the details. In paying
ont, the cable is led from each tank in
succession to series of five-grooved
puiiies, which it passes over and under
alternately, each pulley being fitted
with strap-brake. The cable then
passes round a drum six feet in itliame-
ter, fitted with powerful break,
and thence over the paying out wheel,
four feet in diameter and placed ut the
stern, q dynamometcr being used to
indicate continuously the strain on the
cable. The picking up apparatus is
placed near tho bows of the vessel. and
is worked by a powerful double cylin-
der engine, carried on the same framing
e'o CHC WlAu1uEo Hpp'tItItllS.
The electricians room is conveniently
placed below deck, between the main
and after tanks; there is also a small
house on the deck for. iointing and
similar operations. The electricians
room is we'll arranged and fitted with
every necessary and convenience. The
batteries are upon Sir William Thorn
sons improved principle, the bluestone
liquor being contained in long nccked
bulbs, the openings Of which arc loose
ly stopped with tow, and the necks i'll
serted in the charged cells, the ex,ltla.
ton of the liquor being by capillary
action. They are said TO work very
we'll. and to be source of great
economy. The apparatus is 80 ar.
ranged that signals can be remitted
through the cable and insulation read
ings taken ut the same time. Signal
ing apparatus is fitted throughout the
ship, so that instant communication
eau be made from one department to
another