The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-26
MENDING OCEAN CABLES.
A DIFFICULT jon MADE EASY BY
EXPERIENCE AND SKILL.

Parts OF the Equipment Of Gable
Repair Ship.
From the Boston Herald
Last week Capt Trott received word
that one of the Atlantic cables of the
Anglo-American Company was broken and
that the break had been located about
twenty miles off Sandy Hook. Through
the courtesy of the captain a Herald rep
resentative was invited TO make the trip,
and late in the afternoon of Jan. p the
Nlnia's anchor was hoisted and her nose
turned toward the open sea. At 1880
O'Clock Saturday morning the Fire Island
lightship was passed, and at 9 O'Clock The
ship was in position off Sandy Hook.
The engines were stopped and an iron
buoy, surmounted with a flagstaff, was
lowered from the starboard side and an
chored. This was the mark buoy and was
to serve as the basis of operation.
Then the grapnel was lowered from the
bow girder in twelve fathoms of water.
the ship was gotten under way at very
SOW speed and the process of dragging
for the cable was begun. At 1870 O'Clock
the cable was hooked, and then was be-
gun two days of hard work. which was
made the more difficult by the intense
cold The moment the cable was caught
the engines were stopped and the mizzen
set to keep The ships head up to the wind.
While tire grapnel was holding the cable
Up clear of the water, man was lowered
oy rope from the bow girder With his
feet on the cable, and holding firmly to
the grapple with his left hand he sawed
the cable in two. This is dangerous work
at any time. but especially when there is
much of sea on. AS the cable parted the
sailor was given a violent jerk. but he
cling to the grapple and was presently
raised TO the deck again. Before the saw
ing was done ropes were made fast to the
submarine strand on either side of the
point at which it was to be cut A buoy
was lowered and anchored, and to this the
eastern end Of the cable was secured. The
western end was picked up and brought
on board. wire was made fast to IL
and run aft to the electrical testing room
and then Chief Electrician Dodd smoke
New York and found that the cable was in
perfect condition from that port to the
point where it had been cut. This of course
showed that the original break was on
the eastern end Capt. Trott wrote a mes
sage and gave ii to the operator to send
Mr.. Dodd, meanwhile, was keeping up
lively conversation through The wire with
New York, and he was informed that an
error Of several miles had been made In
the location of the break in the cable, and
correct information as to the break was
received.
The New York end of the wire was cast
loose and anchored to a buoy and the east
ern end brought on board. The ship was
put in motion in an easterly direction and
the cable picked up for some thing more
than seven miles. This was slow and
tedious work, and occupied several hours.
AS the cable came aboard every foot of il
was carefully watched to make sure that
1t was in good condition Picking up cable
Is very dirty operation. Not only does
ii bring up mud from the bottom, but il
also collects and deposits on the deck
variety of marine curiosltes, among
which may be mentioned the spawn Of
fish and sea shells, many of which have
been held against the bottom of the cable
and twisted into queer shapes. One shell
seemed to be literally wrapped about the
cable.
When the Nina had picked UP rather
more than seven miles of cable. all of
which had been coied away in the for
ward well, the break was reached. 1t had
apparently been caused by a ships anchor
The shore end of the cable was now safe
enough, but where was the other end. A
lifeboat was manned and lowered, every
member of the crew wearing a cork jacket
and the boat was anchored at the spot
where the break was made. Then the
ships engines were started and the Nina
began her search with the grapnel for the
missing end
After raking the bottom for two hours
It became evident that the western end of
the cable had been dragged from it's nor
NAL position. BY this time the sun was
setting like ball of fire in a dark back
ground of clouds. 1t was very pictures
que to a landsman, but TO the sailor it gave
warning of the approach of dirty weather,
a warning which was subsequently fulfill
ed With the setting of the sun and the
rapid approach of darkness il became nee
essary to give>up the search and go after
the crew of the boat which had been an
chored. The boat was soon secured a the
davits after buoy had been put down in
its place
All Saturday night the Nina kept beat
ing about within sight of the lanterns of
the mark buoy. At 500 O'Clock the Crap
mel was lowered and the search for the
European end of the cable resumed. AT
O'Clock the grapnel hooked the cable The
end was brought on board and connected
with the electricians room. and in a mo-
ment or two the Nina was in communica-
ton with Canso, the northeastern point oil
Nova Scotia-l20 miles away. incidentally
1t may be said that Canso is the greatest
cable center in the North Atlantic, ten ca
bles running i'm there. There are three
cables from New York to Canso. with q
distance of about three miles intervening
OFF Nova Scotia. betweetn Browns bank
and George shoals, where there are five ca
bles within fourteen miles, the command
err of a cable ship may well have some
difficulty in hooking the cable he is after
Often when cable has been picked VI
it is impossible to tell whether it is ths
right one until it has been cut and the
shore communicated with. Sometimes
however, the appearance OF the cablt
serves as a guide.
AS soon as Mr. Dodd spoke Canso, Capt
Trott was informed of it, and he came af
and cabled to Farmer Dunn in New York
via Canso to find out what the weather
probabilities were. The reply was NOT lie
assuring for gale was predicted-and 4
arrived on time.
While this was going on the crew wer,
preparing a spice. The piece of cable
which was to be used for this purpose wa!
neatly wound with hemp, in order tina
the steel armor which incioses the cabl,
conductor might be the longer preserved
Then came the task of joining one end o
thp cr1ira m fha eastern end of The "a bla