The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-12-26
FOUND BY CABLE sOUNDINGs.
covered About 100 Miles from
the Australian Const.

The Australian government mas
been making surveys for cable
along the east and north coasts of
the continent from Brisbane, Queens
land, to Anson bay, not far from the
northern gold mines. While the cable
steamer Britannia was marking out
the route a short time ago, taking
soundings every few miles, the top of
Il submarine range of mountains was
struck. The highest of these eleva-
tions was only 257 fathoms below the
surface of the sea. while not far
away depths of $500 fathoms were
obtained. says the New York Sun.
II is not at all desirable to lay
cable line over the tops of submarine
elevations. The weight of the cable
is great and the line is likely - be
INJURED in a short time where II is
suspended like clotheslinc on
pole. Every effort is made, therefore,
to avoid stringing cable over such
ominences. The new-found noun
aims under the sea. about 100 miles
from the Australian coast, will not
prove to he a serious obstacle, for
| they have been circumvented by a
slight devis ton from a direct route.
| 1t will be recalled that the cable
route surveyed about two years ago
| by the Nero. Of our naval service, for
part Of our cable route across the
Pacific to Manila deviatcs from
straight line twice between Guam
and Midway island in order to avoid,
| first. submarine mountain which
rises from a depth of 1900 fathoms
10 within SO fathoms of the surface:
and. secondly. to avoid deep abyss
about 500 miles east of Guam. '"hi"h
sinks abruptly to n depth c' soc"
| fathoms. The surveys of the "Hcific
sea bottom have progressed so Ear as
to show that sharp changes Of level
occur there as we'll as in the Allan
tic. and careful examination of the
sea floor Is necessary to determine
the best resting places for cable lines.
There are mysteries in the break
ing of cable lines that have not yet
been solved. The rupture Of these
cables is still too frequent e"r the
companies that are cor'""'"d -
| hunt for the point of brcakage and
make the repairs. The work involves
a great deal of trouble and large ex-
| pense. Some of these accidents are
| due TO friction and ordinary wear.
It is found also that they are some
| times due to earthquake shocks
which now and then disturb the bot
tom in certain parts of the ocean;
| but the breaks also occur at places
where il would seem as though the
lines were safe from impairment for
a very long time. Thus. after the pre-
| paratory work of laying cable has
been as complete as possible and
soundings have been made as accu-
rately as the apparatus in use per-
mits. breakage has occurred within
a few months, at great depths where
the line was supposed to be almost
beyond the reach of accident, and
even on bottoms covered with soft
mud. which is very scrviceable for
the conservation of cables.
The cable of the South American
company between Cape Verde and
Brazil was laid under these excellent
conditions. and yet three months aft
er the first message was sent there
was n rupture off the African coast.
In 1895, two years and two months
later, there was another break only
about 90 miles from where the first
occurred. The curious hypothesis
evolved as to.the cause of these mys-
terious breakages can scarcely be re-
garded as more than theory; IL
shows, at least, that the task of dis.
covering the real cause of some cable
breaks is by no means easy.
An enormous number of soundings
were taken Oft Cape Verde in the en-
deavor to find what caused these
breaks. At last narrow and very
deep trough was discovered on the
sea bottom about 1000 fee, below
the surface. The cable crossing this
trough is supposed to have been cut
through its agency. The most Gu
rious thing about this channel is that
it is believed by those who have
helped to explore it to have been ex
cavated by a submarine river which
flows on the land surface between
the towns of St. Louis and Dakar ant
disappears in the sand near the sea
The place where it energies on th'
sea floor, after an underground
!. course, is believed to have been dis
covered. The cable which formerl,
crossed the, channel that begins a
this point of emergeiYce has now beer
laid parallel with it.