The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21
GUTTA-P ERCHA 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 Gr,.Dt

A serious element in projects for the
| construction of submarine cables is the
Increasing scarcity of gutta-percha and
consequently its 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 1900 to 5000 tons. Even
| as late as 1852 only $500 tons was export
ed, so that the actual increase in the
nine years was 1920 tons.
But this increase in production by nc
means kept pace with the increase in de-
mand owing to the enormous extension
of cable laying in the eighties. So init
mately allied are electric cable extension
and gutta-percha prediction 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-percha production that
| there has been a very decided increase In
the cost of gutta-percha in the market.
Between 1876 and 1852 the price of gutta-
percha doubled. Between 1889 and 1898 IT
| increased by one-third.
THE production of gutta-percha,' said
the Commercial Gable Company, lis a
vital factor in making submarine cables
and have heard the comparative scarcity
| of gutta-percha discussed as serious ele-
| ment in the cable laying of the future.
But the promising view of the case is that
really there is not a vast deal of deep
sea cable laying in the world which re-
mains 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 hes 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 16 COO 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 1.500 miles more in
northern Europe, making a total of from
q, 900 to q, 600 miles. When these are COM
pleted the world will be pretty well i'm
meshed with cables. and 1t would seem
that the construction would be COMPARE
lively limited for a time at least there
after.
Now, of course, the construction of
the 1900 miles in the Pacific alone will
require a vast deal of gutta-percha. Yet
| imagine the cable manufacturers know
where they are going to get It, for / I'M
derstand that they are already prepared
to bid on the contracts. This, | 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
thing that will do as well. but it has not
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
gutta-percha.
1T is perfect insulator, and it has also
the property not only of not deteriorating
by sdbmersion in sea water, but of actual
ly improving the longer it is submerged.
Gutta-percha that has been at the bottom
of the sea for years is better than when
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 most
difficult and delicate processes in cable
manufacture. The slightest imperfection
in the covering or pore the fraction of
hairs breadth in size means sooner or
later a broken communication 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 diameter of the
wire itself. Over this is laid a coating of
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 Gable Company. "one per-
son who. although he is a mechanic having
an important part of the cable splicing TO
perform. is in about the position of first
cabin passenger. He is called the gentle
man of the ship. Until 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 gutta-
percha covering over the parts of the ca
BILE after they are Spliced. 1t is the most
delicate and careful work imaginable. He
has to go over the gutta-percha again and
again, smoothing II down with his fingers
and examining ii infinitely as he works to
see If there Is the slightest imperfection or
the most hair-like porosity. This has to
be done with every coating as it is put on
until the requisite thickness if gutta-
percha is reached.
~ man whose hands were in the least
hardened or calloused with rough labor
never could do it, so the gentleman of the
cable repair ship has nothing to do be-
sleep and keep his hands rldnicured until
they are as white and delicate as a fine
ladys are supposed to be. Ii is an easy
berth, but like most easy berths 1t re-
quires corresponding degree of skill to
go with it
In France of late years there has been
a growing anxiety over the Increasing
scarcity of gutta-percha, for the reason
that the French do not consider that
cable laying Will ne at an end Dy Il good
deal when the world is girdled round and
round about with the cables now in oper-
alton or contemplation. y great deal of
ink has been spilled in France of late
years TO point out the fact that all these
cables are English lines touching for the
most part on English soil alone. In fact
with the recent completion of the st cond
line from England to South Africa the
earth is girdled with cables which touch
land nowhere save where the English flag
flies
Several French writers have recently
viewed with alarm the tremendous advan-
tage this would give Great Britain in
war waged with one of the few nations
that are approximately near England in
naval strength. 1t would mean, for one
thing, that, whereas England would be
able to keep very accurate tab on the
movements of her enemys fleets, the
whereabouts of her own would not be an
easy matter for her enemy to follow For
that reason these French writer's nave
been urging their Government to wake Up
and go to cable laying for the benefit of
France.
Germany is already aroused to the sit
nation. and has stretched a wire. with
wide qualifications, to this country. So
that instead of cable laying being nearly
a completed job, 1t may very well be
that it is a job only just fairly begun.
That being the-case and gutta-peTcha
being indispensable to subSarine cables,
the tree which yields che precious milky
gum from which gutta- percha is made has
become an object OF very great lnterna-
tionai interest. Commercial concerns as
well as Governments themselves have in