The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-04-13
SEEKING GUTlA PERChA.
4 WORLD WIDE HUNT NOW BEING
 MADE BY THE NATIONS,

the Supply Is Limited Franceand
 Germany Most d-England'
 Cable systemA bout Complete En ougl
 for Pacific Cables.
 A serious element in projects for thu
 construction of submarine cables is tht
 increasing scarcity of percha and
 consequently it's increasing cost, fol
 insulator Between 1864 and 1890 the
 amount of gutta- -percha exported from
 the restricted region where it is pro-
 duced increased from eighteen hundred
 to forty-fve thousand tons. Even as
 late as 1882 only thirty eight hundred
 tons was exported, so that the actual
 increase in the nine years was 41,2O0
 But this increase in production by
 no means kept pace with the increase
 in demand, owing to the enormous ex-
 tension of cable laying in the sos. Sc intimately allied are electricl cable ex-
 tension and gutta-percha production
 that in any year or any given period Of
 years it is quite possible to measure the
 one by the other. But comparatively
 speaking cable laying in all parts of \ the world has so outstripped gutta-
 parcha production that there has been a
 very decided increase in the cost of
 gutta-percha in the market. Between { 1876 and 1882 the price of gutta-percha
 doubled. Between 1SS9 and 1898 1t in
 creased by one-thirl
 ''The production of gutta-percha," said
 George Clapperton, traffic manager of
 the Commercial Cable company, lis a vital factor in making submarine ca
 bles, and I have heard the comparative scarcity of gutta- -percha discussed as a serious element in the cable laying of the future. But the promising view of
 the case is that really there is not avast
 deal of deep sea cable laying in the world which remains to be done.
 < >''The last link in the second line from England to South Africa has just been completed and the German cable to this country has been laid. The two great lines in contemplation are the American cable to Hawaii and the [ Philippines, and the British line from British Columbia about sixteen thou sand miles. Then there Is another line in consideration from somewhere on the eastern coast of South Africa to Aus tralia, about six or seven thousand
 miles at rough estimate, and some fifteen hundred miles more in northern Europe, making total of from twenty three to twenty-five thousand miles When these are completed the world will be pretty well immeshed with ca bles and it would seem that the con- struction would be comparatively limi- ted for a time at least thereafter.
 Now. of course, the construction of the sixteen thousand miles in the Paci- flc alone will require 8 vast deal of gutta-percha. Yet I imagine the cable manufacturers know where they are going to get 1t, for I understand that they are already prepared to bid on the contracts. This, I suppose, would hardly be the case unless they had the gutta- -percha in sight
 There is absolutely no other sub stance known that will take the place of ta-percfa as shield for the cop per wire case of and electric cables. Search has been made and is still being made for something that will do as well, but 1t has not yet been successful Experiments have been made with oth- Ter substances, but they all failed. So the deep sea cable seems practically to be dependent Upon gutta-percha
 Tt Is a perfect insulator and 1t has also the property not only of not dete- iriorating by submersion in sea water, but of actually improving the longer 1t Is submerged Gutta-percha that has been at the bottom of the sea for years is better than when it was first laid down. It retains it's remarkable plastic- ity and remains still as perfect in re- gard to its insulating qualities"
 Covering the copper core of an cleo trio cable with utta-percha is one Of the most difficult and delicate process es in cable manufacture. The slightest | 1mperfection in the covering or pore | the fraction of a hairs breadth in size means sooner or later a broken commit | nication involving an expensive voyage of the repair ship.
 The gutta- -percha, which must be of | the finest quality, is laid on over the wire to a thickness of about the diame ter of the wire itself. Over this Is laid coating of a paler and cheaper quality of gutta- -percha, and then come the steel wires to give tensile strength Over the whole is wrapped jute cord coated with tar.
 ''There Is on board every cable repair ship said another man connected with the Commercial Cable company, lone person who, although he is a mechonic having an important part of the cable splicing to perform, is in about the po- Eition of first cabin passenger. He Is called the gentleman of the ship. Un- til the time comes for him to get in his fine work he does no labor whatever, because it is absolutely necessary that he shall keep his hands soft and with all their delicacy of touch unimpaired.
 ''This is the man who lays on the gut ta-percha covering over the parts of the cable after they are spliced. It is the most delicate and careful work imagin- able. He has to go over the gutta-per- cha again and again, smoothing it town with his fingers and examining it ninutely as he works to see if there is he slightest imperfection or the most 1air-like porosity. This has to be done ; with every coating as it is put on until he requisite thickness of gutta-percha ( S reached. "A man whose hands were in the ( east hardened or calloused with rough ] abor never could do it, so the gentle ( nan of the cable repair ship has noth- ng to do between cable splicing times ,ox,a oot and S1ean and keen his hands I