The times., 1901-04-21
GUTTA-PERCHA IN DEMAND
Tropical Forests Ransacked for
the Tree Producing 1t.
Indispensable for Deep Sea Cables
and the supply Limited-A Prob
lem Which Is Interesting the Great
powers-Enst Indian Plantations.

A serious element in projects for the
construction of submarine cables is the
increasing scarcity of gutta-percha ana
consequently it's increasing cost, for gut
ta-percha is an indispensable cable insuia-
tor. Between 1864 and 1890 the amount
of gutta-percha exported from the re-
stricted region where it is produced IN
creased from 1,S00 to 5000 tons Even
as late as 1852 only $500 tons was export
ed, so that the actual increase in the
nine years was Al 200 tons.
But this increase in production by no
means kept pace with the increase IN de-
mand. owing TO the enormous extension
of cable laying in the eighties. So lnti-
mateIy allied are electric cable extension
and gutta-percha production that in any
wear or any given period of years 1t Is
quite possible to measure the one by the
other But comparatively speaking cable
laying in all parts Of the world mas SO
outstripped gutta-percha production thal
there has been a very decided increase III
the cost of gutta-percha in the market
Between 1876 and 1882 the price of gutta-
percha doubled. Between 1883 ana 1888 II
| increased by one-third.
THE production of gutta-percha' SAID
| George Clapperton. traffic manager OF
the Commercial Gable Company, is
vital factor in making submarine cables
| and have heard the comparative scarcity
| of eutta-percha discussed as serious ele-
ment in the cable laying of the future.
But the promising view of the case Is tiial
| really there is not q vast deal OF oeep
sea cable laying in the world whlch re-
| mains TO be done.
| 1.-THE last link in the second line from
England to South Africa has just peeh
completed. and the German cable to TINS
| country has been laid. The two great
lines In contemplation are the American
| cable to Hawaii and the Philippines, ana
| the British line from British Coiumpid-
about 16 900 miles Then there is another
line in consideration from somewhere On
the eastern coast of South Africa to Aus
| tralia. about 5000 or 1000 miles at rough
estimate, and some 1850 miles more IN
northern Europe making a total OF from
% 900 to % 900 miles. When these are COM
pleted the world will be pretty well I'M
meshed with cables, and it would seem
that the construction would be compara-
tively limited for time at least there
after.
Now. of course, the construction of
the 1000 miles in the Pacific alone will
require vast deal of gutta-percha Yet
| I imagine the cable manufacturers know
where they are going to get it, for ] IN
| derstand that they are already prepared
to bid on the contracts. This, l suppose,
would hardly be the case unless they had
the gutta-percha in sight.
There is absolutely no other substance
known that will take the place of gutta-
percha as a shield for the copper wire
case of an electric cable Search has been
made and is still being made for some
| hot Will do hf1t I "a
yet been successful Experiments have
been made with other substances, but
| they all failed. So the deep sea cable
| seems practically TO be dependent upon
1T is a perfect insulator and it has also
the property not only of not deterioratine
| by sdbmersion in sea water. but of actual
| ~ improving the longer it is submerged
Gutta-percha that has been at the bottom
| of the sea for years is better than wher
il was first laid down. 1t retains its re.
markable Elasticity and remains still as
perfect in regard TO its insulating quail
ties"
Covering the copper core of an electric
cable with gutta-percha is one of the mos
2 difficult and delicate processes in CABLE
manufacture The slightest imperfectiol
in the covering or pore the fraction o.
| a hairs breadth in size means sooner O.
t | later a broken communication inyolvln;
2 | an expensive voyage of the repair ship
2 The gutta-percha, which must be of tn
= | finest quality is laid on over the wire TO
| thickness of about the diameter OF IN
wire itself over this is laid coating o
r a paIer and cheaper quality of gutta
= percha, and then come the steel wires t
| give tensile strength. over the Whoie l
e | wrapped jute cord coated with tar.
There is on board every cable repai
| ship" said another man connected VIII
g | the Commercial Gable Company 'one per
I | son who. although he is a mechanic haVin
I an important part of the cable splicing [
\ perform is in about the position of mrs
I cabin passenger. He is called the gentle
S man of the ship. Until the time comes 70
e him TO get in his fine work he does n
= labor whatever. because it is absolutel
s | necessary that he shall keep his hand
e soft and with all their delicacy of touc
f unimpaired.
I This is the man who lays on the gutta
percha covering over the parts of the ca
= bIe after they are spliced. 1t is the mos
u delicate and careful work imaginable II
e has TO go over the gutta-percha again an
e | again smoothing it down with mis- finger
= and examining it minutely as he works
Il see If there is the slightest imperfecton c
y the most hair-like porOsity. This has
|. be done with every coating as II IS put 0
r until the requisite thickness II gutta
| percha is reached
+ ~ man whose hands were in the leaS
); hardened or calloused with rough labo
/ | never could do it, so the gentleman of th
Ir | cable repair ship has nothing TO do Dt
!. tween cable splicing times save eat an
a | sleep and keep his hands ldnicured Unit
# | they are as white and delicate as a IN
n | lady's are supposed to be. 1t is an cas-
if berth. but like most easy berths it re
" quires n corresponding degree OF Sklll
lt | 60 with II.
I q growing anxiety over the increaSln
ar scarcity of gutta-percha, for the reaSo
that the French do not consider thi
cable laying Will ne at an end py 4 goo
deal when the world is girdled round an
round about with the cables now IN ope
alton or contemplation: \ great deal
d ink has been spilled in France OF la
wears TO point out the fact that all the:
cables are English lines touching Tor II
most part on English soil alone: In FAC
rs with the recent completion of the st cor
Id line from England To South Africa II
h | earth is girdled with cables which touC
s. land nowhere save where the EnSlsh lt
le | flies.
er Several French writers have recent
u viewed with alarm the tremendous adYa
V, ! tage this would give Great Britain IN
IN | war waged with one OF the rev Hatiol
/ that are approximately near England
at naval strength 1t would mean. for OF
sh thing that whereas England would
of | able to keep very accurate tab on q
s. movements of her enemys heets u
o. whereabouts of her own Wouid uot pe :
a easy matter for her enemy to follow. r.
nd | that reason these French writers ma
n been urging their Government TO wake
a and go to cable laying for the behellt
be GERMANY is already aroused to the 81
- uation and has stretched wire, WI
IS side ramifcations, to this country.
ut mat instead of cable laying being near
ly n completed job, 1t may very wen
ON | that il is a job only just fairly begun.
OF That being the-case ana sutta-peIC 81
m | heine INDISPENSABLE to subSarlne caDit
m the tree which yields the precious mill
h Gum from which tta-percha is maze n
,e- become an object of very great intern
ng | tional interest Commercial concerns
nd well as Governments themselves nave