The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-07-22
LAYING A HAVANA CABLE
How the Work Is DOue-LandinE the
Line Il q Most Dimcalt
Task.

The laying Of a second cable from Ha-
ana TO the Florida coast is one OF the
results of the development of closer re-
lations between this country and
Cuba. The new line is being laid by
the Commercial Cable company, which,
failing to secure special authority from
Washington, Is going ahead under the
~post-roads act. which will give the post
master general power TO fix its rates for
official messages and authorize the gov-
eminent TO take over the line at any
time on appraisal.
The business Of making and laying
cables has been reduced TO an exact
science since the Agamemnon and the
Niagara planted the first submarine
telegraph line between Europe and
America in 1855. The machinery and
methods Of a modern telegraph-ship,
like the Commercial company's Mackay-
Bennett, do not differ radically, how.
ever, from those Of the experimental
stage.
The cable itself varies with the water
In which II is 10 lie. The bottom Of
the Gulf Of Mexico Is serrated with coral
reefs, and It's waters are infested by the
teredo, against whose ravages special
m is required. This will make the
Cuban cable unusually heavy aud cost
ly. First comes the core, or conductor,
consisting Of intertwined copper wires;
then an insulating covering Of gutta-
percha, then a layer Of iute yarn, theu
a s~heathing Of steel wires, with another
layer Of jute, and a bituminous coating
over all. The core Is the same size
throughout but the sheathing varies,
being thickest for shallow and thinnest
for deep water.
On board ship the cable Is kept coiled
in huge round iron tanks In the hold.
On a platform projecting over the bow
is a large iron pulley, back Of which is
n revolving drum. This is the picking
up apparatus. At the stern Is the pay
ing out gear, similar, but with the addi-
ton Of four ~retarding wheels, a brake,
and a dynamometer 10 record the
amount Of strain the cable Is subjected
to. When laying actually begins the
great cable glides up from Its coil in
the tank like a graceful but intermin.
able serpent, passes over the retarding
wheels, takes several turns around the
brake drum, under the dynamometer,
over the stern pulley, and into tie wa.
er. In good weather It can be paid ont
at the rate Of seven nautical miles an
hour.
Landing the cable is the most difficult
task. This is done by small boats. A
short section of the strand is coiled into
one Of these, or On a lighter, and towed
inshore. Cables are seldom landed II
hsrbors, and the task of getting then
ashore through the surf is frequently q
risky one, for which reason the men en-.
gagged are provided with life preservers
Once on dry land the line is anchored II
acable hut, a rough structure built neal
the water. The csble-ship next paw
Wv $500 up "uAti 10 tdSntut hDtI
the cable Ia sealed at the end and lie
down to the bottom attached by a rop,
to a buoy. This lie done at both land
ings. Then the deep-sea section Il
splieed to N Of the shore ends and pan
out until the other shallow water section
is reached. There the final splice 4
made and the line ls ready for working
Telegraphic connection Is maintaine,
with the shore as the cable runs out
and constant electrical tests are made
Wonderful feats Of finding los
cables are recorded. In 1866 the Grea
Eastern grappled and recovered, II
m%idocean, the Atlantic cable, whIcl
had parted there the year before, an,
in 1894, when the Faraday was layinI
the Commercial compsny's third Al
lantic line, both the buoyed shore end
were lost and afterward picked NJ
Instances Ike these furnish romano
and excitement for the men on IN
/ cable-shiDs.-Colller'a Weekly