The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-13

fricai engineer, My father, who was
Interested ln a cable company had
procured me the position Of engineers
assistant on the old cable ship Docia
How the whitewash few therel and
how 1t made my eyes smart! Clouds
Of 1t rose from the cable as 1t ran
around the drum and dipped under the
dynamometer sheave. Within a few
minutes Il would cover me completely.
Nevertheless. it was a good first ap-
premiership to the business OF laying
and operating ocean cables
From the factories on the Thames.
England. where most Of the cable is
manufactured. It is drawn of 20 the
great circular tanAa OF the cable ship.
lying ont IN the river. 1t is colled in
layers or flakes. as II is hauled aboard,
and literally coated with whIiewash
to prevent the flakes from sticking to-
gether
TO haul a long cable aboard and
stow II properly IN the tanks. often oc-
cupies twenty day and nights. The
cable ship. with a fun complement Of
mechanical and electrical engineers
and their assistants. then steams away
10 that quarter Of the world where the
cable Is to be laid. soundings having
been previously made FOR it along the
entire route
When laying down deep.sea cable,
the ship usually steams from FIVE TO
seven knots an hour but sometimes.
when all conditions are favorable, Ia
creases her speed to nine knots. The
coils 0f cable are then whisking M
from out the tank and gliding through
the sheaves Al a spanking rate. As i
rises from the tank Il passes. 1rst. six
times around A great drum. to prevent
slipping. then dips under the dynamo
meter and glides out over the stern
sheaves and down to It's long rest on
the cold. oozy led of the ocean.
Deep-sea cable Is calculated 70 stand
a strain Of i've tons. II viii not bear
much more without breaking. The
dynamometer Is a device with a point
er hand Tor indicating. from moment
10 moment the amount Of strain e
which the cable Il subjected. When
the pointer turns 70 a higher figure W.
know that the water j. growing deep
er. and that consequently a grea'el
length Of cable Is hanging from th'
stern sheaye.
Frequently the cable steamer canno
approach within a mile on two of thi
beach. on account OF shallow water
and sometimes the shore Is rough ans
rocky. Shore-end cable. TOO. Is verl
heavy. Generally We get the end tina
Is to 20 ashore down from the steame
20 a steam launch or a wherry. an'
then make for the shore with IL Al
tnching balloon hu0ys 10 the cable a
Il comes from the ship to prevent
from sinking and getting chafed on IN
bottom as It IL drawn along.
When the launch or wherrv reache
the beach the end of the cable !
passed through a long spider sheave
anchored securely In the sanc. an
then the task Of hauling II begins
The end usually las q be carried sey
eral hundred yards from the water
edge up to the cable hut. usually mad
or corrugated iron. which serves as
Temporary cable office.
While The line Of cable Il being TAI
down The electricians test Il constant
ly 70 see that no breaks occur OF fault
develop. The coil In the tanks Is ker
charged with electricity from Il bal
terry Of about a iIuEdred cells abonr
ship. A telegraph instrument il Al
tacned to the end Of the cable broueh
up from the bottom of the tank. s
that the ship is In communication wit
the shore from which she Is proceed
ing. A marine rejecting galyanomets
is also kept in the circuit
At the cable hut on shore the cabl
terminates at one pillar o. a discharl
Ing key. the end being thus insulate,
50 that the insulation resistance Of n
cable can be kept under constant ol
servation. The galvanometer mlrrs
reflects a kpo. Of light on a scree
from a little lamp called The galyanl
meter lamp.
once Ia nve minutes the operator O
shore. commonly called the "sp.
watcher deprosses the lever of D.
Key. thus dlscharRing the tension
the cable into a condenser The spl
Of light moves on the screen aud q
movement Is noted
simultaneously ou board the ship u
ralvanometer acts IL the same wa
After an hour the battery on tho sh