Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-26
alsxamdrisa 6azette.
U sDAY EvENtNa. JAN 26, + :
A DESTRUCTIVE PEST.
IRON Cables Sometimes Sundered by tho
White Ant.

White Ant.
According to an interesting state
ment from our Paris correspondent,
the swamps of Tonquin have proved
fatal even to Geographic cables.
Professor Bowler has been describ-
ing to the Academy of Science how
the insects in that undesirable pos
session have been embarrassing the
engineers. 1t appears that a wire
was laid in Tonquin in the year
1894. AS the ground was marshy,
it was made up into cable as if
for submarine purposes. The copper
wires were surrounded with an in
sulating material-probably gutta
percha1-and this was inserted in an
envelope of cotton and jute BY
way of making everything secure,
it was inclosed within a lead pipe.
But hardly had year gone by
when the cable showed signs of be
ing defective and it was found nee
essary to replace it. The protecting
envelope had been pierced again and
again by the attacks of termites
and its insulation destroyed.
These termites, or white ants, are
the pests of many tropical countries.
Certainly the wise king, had he
thought of them, would never have
sent the sluggard to the ant for Il
moral lesson. An excess of energy
may be more mischievous than the
spirit of rest and be thankful.
Perhaps, however, as Solomon is
said to have been san adept in nat
ural history, he would have replied
that he was not responsible for the
misnomerS of the future genera
lions. The destructive termite is,
IN fact, not true ant, and has no
real connection at all with that
model of brisk yet patient industry.
Indeed they are generally put SO far
apart as to be classed in different
orders, but in many of their habits
the termites resemble the true ants.
Some species build conclike mounds,
raising them to a height of 5 or 6
feet and constructing in the hard
mud an elaborate system of cham
bers and galleries. Others burrow
into wood. These are the terror of
the householder. Posts and beams
are riddled by them; chairs and ia
bles are converted into a hollow
mockery, for the creatures work
away at the interior, leaving the
outside undisturbed.
The termite is not very particular
as to what it attacks. Though a soft
bodied creature, its jaws seem to be
fairly hard. Not only furniture,
but also books, papers, clothing
cord = almost anything about a
house except the bricks and the NOR
tar, the states and the glass-are
food for its ravenous NAV. The cop
per III the French cable, OF course,
was too much for it-although Pro
fessor Bowler stated that leaden
bullets sent to the Crimca during
the war were perforated by some
insects the wire became worth
less when its insulation was destroy
ed. The leaden pipe, however, pre-
sented no difficulty. Probably it
was but roughly laid, being only
for general purposes of pro
lection.
Chinks would occur here and
there, and an army of termites
would soon effect a Judgment with
in the fertilization. The rope and
the gutta percha they would not
find much to their taste, and would
be no more affected by the passing
current than are tho birds which
perch on the overhead wires.
The termite no doubt has its as
sailants, such as spiders and toads,
lizards, goat suckers and bats. We
imagine that in Tonquin people,
must look almost affectionately even
on the first two of these, but the in-
sects increase and multiply SO fast
for the female is regular egg
laying machine-that it will be
many a day before these destructive
little creature disappear from trop-
ical countries. Submarine cables
have been attacked by the teredo
and other boring creatures, but these
can be defeated by sundry devices,
one being to prepare the rope with
a solution in which fine sand is mix
ed, but tho termite would probably
be able TO deal even with this. Pro
fessor Bouvier advises the use of
sulphato Of copper. If the cable be
stepped in this he believes even the,
termite Will decline it as an article
of diet.-Lendon Sentinel