, 1878-04-26
Laying the Gable of 1866.

1t may seem simple matter to dis
tribute or "pay OUT the cable, but in
I practice it is exceedingly difficult. Twen-
/ " men are stationed in The tank from
/ which II Is issuing. each dressed in a can
vas suit, Without pockets, aud IN boots
without nails. Their duty is to case each
coil ,s il passes ont of the tank, and t.
/ give notice of the marks painted on the
cable one mile apart. Near the entrance
ct the tank it runs over a grooycd whGcl
and along an iron trough until il reaches
that part Of the deck where the paying
OUT machine is placed, The latter con
sists of six grooved wheels, each provided
with II smaller wheel, called "jDckey,'
| placed against the upper side OF the groove
so as to press against the cable as it goes
through, and retari or help its progress,
| These six wheels and their jockeys are
themselves controlled by brakes, and
after il has been embraced by them the
cable winds round "drum" four times.
| The drum is another wheel, four feet in
diameter and nine inches deep, which is
also controlled by powerful brakes; and
from it the cable passes over another
grooved wheel before it gets to the "dy
namometer" wheel The dynamometer
is an instrument which shows the exact
degree of strain on the cable, and the
| wheel attached to it rises and falls as the
strain is greater or less. Thence the ca
ble is sent over another deeply grooved
wheel into the sea. On deck is small
house, which is filled with delicate scien.
tifc instruments. AS the cable is paid
out, it is tested here. If wire or nail
or smaller thing is driven through it,
and the insulation is spoiled, an instru-
ment called the galvanometer instantly
records the fact, and warning is given at
all parts of the ship. The man in charge
touches a small handle, and an electric
bell rings violently in the tank and at the
paying-out machinery. At the same time
u loud gong is struck, at the sound of
which the engines are stopped. Delay
might cause much trouble or total fail
ure, rs the injured section must be ar
rested and repaired before it enters the
water.
The Great Eastern went ahead at the
rate Of five nautical miles an hour, and
the cable passed smoothly overheard.
Messages were sent to England and an
swers received. The weather was bright,
and all hands were cheerful. On the
third day after the Splicing" of the
shore-end with the main cable, that part
Of the ocean was reached where the water
suddenly increases in depth from two
hundred and ten iathoms to two thousand
and fifty. One of the earlier cables broke
at this place and was lost forever. The
electricians and engineers watched for it
with anxious eyes. 1t was reached and
pissed. The black cord still travelled
through the wheels unbrokcu, and the
test applied by the galyanometer proved
the insulation to be perfect. The days
wore away without mishap until the eve
ming of July II, when the sound Of the
gong filled all hearts with Il sickening
fear.
The rain was falling in torrents and
pattering on the heavy OlI-skin clothing
of the watchers. The wind blew in
chilly gusts, and the sea broke in white
crests of foam. A dense and pitchy
cloud issued from the smoke stacks. The
vessel advanced in utter darkness. A few
lights were moving about, and shadows
fell hither and tbither as one of the hands
carried II lantern along tue sloppy deck.
The testing room was occupied by an
electrician, who was quietly working with
his magical instrument, and the cable
could be heard winding over the wheels
astern, as the tinkling Of little bell on
the drum" recorded its progress.
The electrician rose from his seat sud-
denly, and struck the alarm. The next
instant each person on board knew that
an accident had happened. The engines
were stopped and reversed within two
minntes Blue-lights were burned on the
paddle. boxes, and showed knot in the
cable rs it lay in the trough.
1t is very intricate knot that an old
sailor cannot unite, and the old sailors on
the Great Eastern twisted and untwis,ed
coil after coil until they succeeded in un.
tying this one. The insulation remained
perfect, and in few hours all was right
again. The accident caused much ill
foreboding, however, as it showed how
slight an occurrence might bring the ex-
peditiOn to Il disastrous end.
On July 81, after voyage Of fifteen
days, the Great Eastern nished her work,
and her part of the cable was attached to
the American shoreend, which had been
laid by another vessel.--St. Nich0Ias.
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