Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-01-17

When this instrument reveals the pros.
ence OF such strain rs the grappling OF
the cable would bring about che iron Is
hauled UP with the cable at tho end OF Il.
Tho repairors always calculate to
grapple the cable about ten miles away
from tho point at which tho break has
occurred. II the irons grappled the ca
bio too near the end tho cable would
slip away long before IL reached tho
deck of tho steamer. In some instances
no break has occurred at all, and cleo
trical communication has been inter
rupted, perhaps, by the destruction of
the insulated covering of the cable or
by some defect OF similar character, so
that when the graphing iron appears at
the surface OF the water the entire length
OF cable comes up with it. The break
is then spliced or the defects rcmedied,
and the rehabilltated cable is consigned
once more to the bosom OF the mighty
deep. OF course many timos 1t Is not
possible to determine exactly what the
cause OF cable bcoak has boon, but
usually tho trouble is that the cable has
been laid too taut and 1t has broken or
been damaged in serious way by reason
of the immense strain resulting on this
excessive tautness. The consequence is
that whenever repair is made in
mid-ocean the repairers cut away
all the twisted and strained cable in
the immediate neighborhooi OF the
break and do away with all possibility
Of tautness by putting in twenty-five
| -, - rrhfg
meander down the side of submerged
Mount Washington or may curl quietly
M In the basin Of a Mohawk Valley,
but whatever IL does there is no chance
of the cable breaking In that particular
spot again from being drawn too tight.
The only break which the cable peo-
pie really dread is the break which &C.
ours not in midocean, but in midwinter.
1t Is quite Obvious that the repairing OF
4 deep-sea cable, when the waves are
rolling mountains high and storms in
vest the heavens from horizon to hori-
ION, is no easy task, and under these
circumstances the graphing for cable
successfully is something very difficult
Of accomplishment. In the summer,
though, and particularly in October,
after the equinoctlal storms, when the
slsies are serene and the surface OF the
ocean Is frequently as placid as the
surface OF an inland lake, the matter OF
repairing the breaking OF a cable, un-
less, indeed, 1t ipterferes seriously with |
business, is not regarded in so serious a
light.
or course the cost OF repairing cable |
is very considerable. When it is consid- |
cred that fully-equipped ocean steam
or, with an expert navigator and expert
electricians on board, is devoted exclu-
sively to the business of repairing that
cable for length of time extending
anywhere from two weeks to month,
some idea Of the cost may be arrived at
As three weeks is perhaps an average
time required for the proper repair Of an
ordinary cable break, the mere rent of
the steamer amounts to about twenty |
five thousand dollars. To this is to be |
added, of course. the actual cost OF the |
repairs and the twenty-five or fifty miles
of new cable; and cable, IL it were sold
by the yard. would be sold almost at the
price Of fine lace.
The finding and repairing of the orig
inal Field cable is probably the most re-
markable triumph in the whole annals |
of the science Of nayigation. When that
first Field cable was laid nobody knew
as much about cable laying as they have |
since found out, and no particular es-
pecial pains were taken to record
the exact course OF the steamer and
the location OF the cable.
1t parted In mid-ocean, and for five |
years no attempt was made to do any |
thing with it. At the end of that time,
and after second and more successful |
cable had been laid, the Faraday steamed |
out on tho trackless ocean 70 pick that
saisi,ed ID; successfully S; the Job of laying it.
Here certainly the difficulties in the way
seemed overwhelming. The only thing
the searchers had to guide them in their
search was log OF tha steam ihip Great
Eastern, which made known tho course
of tho vessel certainly but not with the
extreme accuracy which was in such
case every way desirable. More than
that, the cable had laid at the bottom OF
the ocean for five years, and probably
the graphing irons passed oyer ii num-
Der Of times before they finally Crap
pied II. When II was gotten hold of it
was encrusted with all manner of ocean
growths, and Cyrus w. field is said to
have piece of it about yard long COW
cred with coral. When this successful
achievement is considered the work Of
finding and repairing the cable, whore
the break ~ known to be certain num-
Der OF miles from the land, and the
original course of the eablo is 0 matter
Of accurate knowledge. dwindles into
insignifcance. {
1t is not generally known that an
,cean cable varies in size, and that what
ire called tho shore ends of the cable are
'ery much larger than the deep-sea sec
ion. As I matter of fact, it is made up !
II three different sizes, which are
graduated 10 each other and spliced.
rhe diameter OF the shore end Of the
able is almost as great as the diameter
" small teacup. This weighs as much
IS twelve tons 10 the mile. 1t will be
zen, therefore, that II the entire length
II cable was SO heavy as this the ex- l
pensc would not only be enormous, but ,
no one steamer would be able to do the
'able-laying. They would have to go I
back to the time of tho laying OF the
irst cable, when two steamers we're
'ound necessary for the service. The |
section has diameter :
lbout equal to the diameter of q silver
iollar, and weighs, perhaps, as much as {
Tho shore end. The deep-sea section is Q
lbout the size OF fifty-cent piece, or,
perhaps smaller A great many of the
,ables which used TO be extended from {
,olc to pole around toxin are much larger I
han those cables lying at the bottom OF c
he sea. This mid-oceap section is, OF |
course, the longest of the lot, so that one r
7essel of good fat tonnage has no diff. S
,ulty in carrying cable enough to string I
rom Ireland over to Nova Scotia. l
ANY one who wants 10 get an accurate a
ioa Of exactly how tho5o ocean cables L
'ok can easily do SO by visiting any OF v
ne cable offices in town, and thoy will |
nd sections OF thu cablo lying around Q
n the desks for use us paper weights, i
nd in some of the Offices will find spec
NINA nnat1u frnmod and hupc ON tho | N