New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-16

and General Otis frequently reported TO the
war Department that OF the great draw
backs in the Philippines was the lack OF inter
communication and the difficulty Of getting
news to and fro among the islands Acting
promptly upon their recommendations the De
partment called upon the transport service for
4 suitable vessel which could be spared to be
utilized for this purpose. The Burnside was Sc
lected as the most available because Of her
width and general roominess
In the last eight weeks she has been com
petely oyerhaued and rentted All of the
necessary cable appliances have been installed.
1hree large cable tanks have been built in her
hold and in them the five hundred miles Of cable
IS coiled These huge tanks are about twenty
hFe feet in diameter and fifteen feet deep They
are made Of thick copper, having a core in the
centre Tor steadying and keeping the cable in
'sIuoh while 1t Is being paid out Each tank
holds two hundred and fifty miles Of cable
The Government has employed a cable expert
to superintcnd the loading and instaIIfnu Of tho
'tb-e on the Burnside. The cable viii be-. laid
Under the supervision of Captain Squers Of the
signal Corps The cost of the cable is from
$500 to $1,000 Il mile. The copper wire Of the
cable Is sheathed with sixteen steel wires coy
cred with jute, and the whole is incascd in AN
outer covering of gutta percha The cable ex-
pert on the Burnside said:
The laying Of cable in the Philippines or
elsewhere entails a good deal more work than
the mere steaTning from one to the other Of the
Two stations which he connected hv II
during each step constant tests are taken Re
1oTe laying, the intended route is carefully
sounded, 10 discover any Irregularities in the.
sea bottom, which would be Injurious TO the
cape Inc Sounder is lowered at the end OF a
long coil Of fine pianoforte wire wound on n
drum, the heavy shot used for sinking il being
automatically released on reaching the bottom
90 as to facilitate the recovery of the sounder
Inc number OF revolutions Of the drum recorded
by an index attached to it, gives the depth to
which the sounder has sunk
On reaching the spot where the cal Is to be
landed sheaVes are fixed on the beach. and a
une passing round them and back 10 the shin
nauls the end Of the cable, foated by large india
rubber balloons, to the shore The end is taken
INTO cable hut furnished with electrical in
Strdments and during the laying electricians
remain in the hut to keep up communication dav
thousand fathoms the cable takes about three
hours To sink, so that if a ship is paying out at
the rate OF nine knots hour the distance
from the vessel to the spot where the cable
seven nautical miles.
The burnside was formerly the Rita, one of
the prize steamers taken from Spain in the war.
She was captured by the Yale while trying to
run the blockade off the east end of Porto Rico,
having On board cargo of arms and ammuDi- |
don for Cuba. She was towed to Charleston, |
B. G., where Captain A. II. Lahn her present |
commander, took charge of her. She was re- |
named, and put into the transport service MAX
Ing her first voyage from Tampa 10 Cuba car |
-ying cargo of mules after which she was
egularly employed troopship by the Gov
She is built OF steel 10 295 feet long.