Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-07-01
Spirit Of the Dress.
REPAIRING OCEAN CABLES
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


REPAIRING OCEAN GABLES.
Admiral Sampson has been singularly
fortunate in being able to restore cable
communication with Cuba so soon after
gaining possession of the point where
one of the cable stations was formerly
located. When the cables were cut the
work was done hurriedly, and, as the
men were constantly under fire, it was
not to be expected that they would ex
ercise the same care that they might
have done under more favorable circum-
stances. Then, too, the task was not
performed by experienced hands, but had
to be intrusted to ordinary seamen.
1t was found necessary to call into
service a regularly equipped cable boat
when it was desired to restore communi-
cation betweed Cuba and the rest of the
world. This greatly expedited matters,
and enabled Admiral Sampson and Gen.
sShafter to communicate directly with
Washington much sooner than otherwise
they could have hoped to do. 1t is rather
a difficult task to mend cable even UNI
der favorable conditions, and sometimes
in commercial work it is necessary to
drag for hours when the cable has been
cut before recovering the ends. 1t is
customary when one end is located to
secure it to a buoy and then rake the
bottom with the grapnel again until the
missing end is found. Frequently one
end of the cable is dragged out of its
normal position when it has been cut, and
this is especially true where the work
has been done as a war measure.
VTotpoxar N4-hop hnfh ends have hppO
recovered the task of making a splice
must be accomplished, aud this requires
great care and precision. Every cable
boat carries a supply of material as well
as the necessary implements for per-
forming such work and the electricians
equipment for testing and operating the
cable. 1t is always necessary, of course,
to supply piece of cable to fill in the
gap between the ends. This work is
done by an expert, known on the cable
boat as the jointer, and as the operation
is very expensive no pains are spared to
make it as thorough as possible. The
cable is carefully wound with hemp or
some similar material in order that it
may be preserved. 1t is rather bulky
affair." and consists of several copper con-
ductors, thus preserving a certain degree
of flexibiity which could not be had if a
single bar of metal of equal capacity
were used. The ends of the copper wires
in the cable are filed and neatly fitted to-
gether, and the whole is covered with a
metal armor. In the original construc-
ton of the cable great care is taken to
secure high insulating qualities, and this
must be particularly considered in max
ing repairs. Otherwise when the cable
boat returns to port from one of these
expeditions the crew is sent back to do
the work over again, as a very slight
fault will greatly impairIthe efficiency of
the cable and sometimes make it entirely
imperative.
1t will be understood that considerable
time will be required even after active
operations are begun in Cuba to restore
communication between the several
ports recently cut of from the rest of
the world. The nature of the work and
the special equipment required will ex-
plain, too, the long delay that has been
experienced in repairing the cable be-
tween Manila and Hongkong. Admiral
Dewey has no facilities for performing
such work, and the owners of the Manila
cable have no desire to undertake the
task, as there is no pressing necessity
for cable service during the present un-
settled condition of the island. Just as
soon as Admiral Dewey takes possession
of the city of Manila and the troops of
Gen. Merritt are landed it is expected
that order will be restored, commerce re-
vived and the demand for cable commu-
nication with the rest of the world re-
newed. 1t is to be hoped that the present
condition of affairs will teach the Ameri-
can government Il valuable lesson, and
that the necessity for cable equipments
in the navy will be impressed upon all
concerned.-Chicago Record.
HOBSON AS A TYPICAL AMERICAN.
Lieutenant HObsOn's startling exploit