The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-10
LAYING AN
OCEAN CABLE.
How the Watery Depths Between
the Continents are Bridged.
by PERCIE W. HART.

| ana never nave Happt!ttu upon IL ceFtdll
most important type of nautical craft
! She is steamer with something of q
| hybrid appearance, having the paint and
| boats of a warship or yacht, the mode
of a small liner, together with a certain
air of trampish recklessness in her move
ments. In addition to all this, her decks
appear to be unduly crowded with ma
| chnery of many sorts, her bulwarks are
! adorned with huge funnel-shaped objects
| ard she has odd arrangements like big
| pulley-whCplS projecting from bow and
stern. Such craft is what is technically
! known rs Il ''cable-laying and repair
shop''-in other words, Il lineman of the
ocean.
| At the present time there are about 4
! such specially constructed and equipped
vessels employed in laying and caring f0t
the telegraphic cables of the world. That
this number must be considerably aug
| mentcd by the recent colonial acquisitions
| OF the United States can be thoroughly
appreciated when the necessity of prompt
| communication between. all parts of 4
governed territory is considered. Until
vcry recently the United States had had
no outlying dependencies or territories
| (Save AlaSka), and. consequently, no par
tictIlar urgency for cables or cable-ships
With the new era new dawning, however
this condition of affairs must be changed
and already some of the improvised trans
ports have been, and are being. used OF
adapted for the functions of cable repair
| ing. to supply the pressing needs until
| special craft can be acquired or con.
strtictcd.
The cables of the world aggregate about
10000 nautical miles. While the bulk
of this is the property Of private com
ranics. something in the neiGhborhood of
20.0GO miles is owned or actively con
troled 10y the different colonial powers
The British Empire and France have
about 5000 and 5000 miles respectively
Germany 1000. and Italy 1000 Spain
WAS credited with ]. 100 miles. but n con-
siderable proportion Of this must now ap-
pertain to the United States.
The laying of Il cable across an ocean
is not nearly so simple matter as might
appear mt first thought. There are a
number of things to be taken into ac-
count. The enormous weight of any con-
siderable length of cable (say. for in
stance sufficient to reach from Hawaii to
an island of the LadrOnes. or what would
be only one division in Il direct cable be-
tween the United States and the Philip
pinesD, is an important factor. The Great
Eastern was able to carry enough for the
whole distance between Valentia. Ireland
successfully laid it after two attempts.
But this is not so great distance as our
illustration, and, moreover. modern cables
differ from their predecessors in being
made much heavier ard in varied types to
meet certain conditions What is known
as 'deep-sea cable" weighs about two tons
to the mile. while the inshore variety
weighs IT tons to the mile. There are
other intermediate grades. Instead of
Il
expedient to lay ong-distance cables in
sections.
So that we may properly appreciate the
subject, imagine yourself on board of a
typical cable-ship engas ed in actual work.
We find irst-class vessel in all re-
spects, with uniformed officers and crew,
strict discipline maintained. and every
otEcr feature of expert navigation. In
addition to all this. we can quickly note
the unique attributes specially suited for
her distinctive field of effort. To begin
at the very handspring of the whole. we
find the cable cooled away in big iron
tanks situated in what would be the hold
Of cargo ship. These tanks are from
80 to 40 feet in diameter. and are con-
nected with one another by ways" or
'trOushs." through which transfers can
readily be made when occasion requires.
The numerous machines upon deck are
necessary for the proper handling of the
heavy cargo. and their power can better
be appreciated later. The big, funnel-Iilie
objects lining the bulwarks in places are
buoys, useful in marking locations. We
soon discover that the ship has really
three crews or departments. each with its
separate chiefs and officers Neverthe-
less, they must all work in harmony. one
with another, or things will go wrong
There is the steamship crew-Captain,
Engineers. Mates, Quartermasters. Stok-
ers, deck-hands, cooks. and STEWARDSHIP
even these men must be experienced in
the special difficulties of navigation and
labor with which they have to contend
Then there is Il certain corps who have TO
do with the actual cable laying, picking
up, buoying, etc, although, quite natural
ly, they are aided by the rest as occasion
demands. Last of all on our list fbut
certainly not in Importance are the cleo
trIcians, charged with the testing and cal
cuiating which must go on continuously
while the ship is ut work in order to pre-
vent costly mistakes.
Our ship has already laid some sections
of cable from either shore, and is now on
her way with a fresh cargo to supply the
gap between. Out in mid-ocean, hun
dreds of miles from land and perhaps a
thousand miles apart, are two groups of
buoys. These designate the submerged
ends of the long wire ropes. Our first
destination is the nearer of the two Elk
pert action must commence at once No
ordinary navigating calculations will be
economical enough to quickly discover
those tiny specks in the great expanse of
water. a trtling variation in the chrome
meters, for instance, might set the ship
to a week or 10 days of tiresome cruising.
Ordinary navigation is intended for ordi-
nary needs. most certainly not to discover
pin-points in Il blanket. In addition, then,
to the usual calculations and instruments,
observations are taken from certain stars
and the moon, if possible: and as the sus-
pected neishborhood draws near the deep
sea lead is kept going. bringing up speci-
mems OF the bottom, and at the same time
recording known depths And. of course.
the lookouts are as keen as naval tackles
when on watch for n coming enemy. AS
in most other pursuits, the specialist be-
comes an adept i'll his chosen line. The
Navigating Captains of these cable craft
very often steam away over the wilder
ness of ocean and stop in sight of their
buoys with all the precision of IL man halt
ing at wellknown street-crossing.
And so, after days or weeks or months,
as the case may be, of ordinary sea-voy-
aging, we might sight our quarry, and the
whole ships company takes on a hustle
and air of preparation for what is to