The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-09
SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING
Pacific Cable Enterprise Profting
Greatly by Past Experiences.

Reports received at the nations CAPT
tai indicate that the builders of the new
Eaclfle cable, which has already reach
ed Honolulu and will soon Manila and
the coast of Asia. are prohting enor-
mOuSiy by the cable building expert
ences Of the past. The first eOnsidera-
ton IS to get good support for the
cable on the bed of the ocean and not
to have 1t suspended in festoons from
peak to peak. The soundings of the
Paeiflc taken by the photographic Du-
reau OF the navy. and make available
for the Commercial Gable company by
agreement. are the best piece of work
IN their line ever done. and accordingly
the cable which follows that line will
call for less than the usual amount of
repairing.
Millions of dollars have been thrown
into the ocean by improper cable laying
Companies have gone ahead without
any adequate survey, and sometimes
without any survey whatever If in
paying out the cable the ship came to
a place where the bottom of the ocean
suddenly rose considerably, the cable
would be Immediately drawn tauf at
that point and suspended in a long fes-
toon until it was brought to the next
point of rest In laying the first line
from Alden to the coast of india, the
cables We're sent out on ships with Law
ing machinery designed for a depth Of
q thousand fathoms When the first
ship was starting from Alden a British
naval officer came in with the informa-
ton that the general depth over the
route was about double that of the es-
innate still the company went on lay
ing the cable. with the result that it
failed very early. 1t worked we'll for a
time, but its life was short. As cables
then cost much more than they do now,
it was an expensive experiment.
The working limit today in cable lay
ing is about $500 fathoms. The trouble
IS not in laying the cable. but in picking
it up for repairs, and this is about the
extreme limit at which it is thought
best to operate graphing machinery
This limitation compelled a somewhat
circuit0us route in the Pacific cable In
the part of the sea between the Midway
Islands and Guam submarine depres-
sion was found Of 5269 fathoms-almOst
six miles That is the deepest part of
the surface Of the earth of which there
is record.
People who know vaguely that a sub
marine wire is only about an inch thick,
and looks not unlike an ordinary street
car cable, have very little idea Of the
intricacies Of its construction The deli
cate copper wires which carry the cur
rent must be so protected that they can
lie for years on the bottom Of the ocean
and do their work with out accident or
Interruption Not only strength, but
continuity and perfect insulation, are
necessary. No moisture must reach the
metal
The cable is accordingly composed of
ductor. made up of copper wire; the
casing of hemp, tar and rubber. which
protects this from the water. and the
heavy steel binding that acts as shield
against rocks, wreckage and the keels
Of ships near shore The insulating COW
ering is generally me de of gutta percha.
but occasionally India rubber IS used.
A layer Of tanned jute yarn covers the
gutta percha to protect it from the steel
wire casing, which in turn protects the
whole from accident, though it has itself
to be incased in jute yarn and btu
minOus compound to keep it dry.
The cable ship is not only a huge storage
department. but a big floating workshop
as well In the hold there are three inn
mense iron tanks similar to the land tanks
at the mandatory, "a feet in diameter, for
the storage Of the cable. each having
conieal core for Guiding the cable while
paving it out. The space within these
cores is utilized to hold fresh water The
capacity of the tanks in the regular cable
ship is about 1.4o0 tons of cable. this be-
ing the equivalent of about 100 miles of in
shore cable weighing IA tons to the mile.
or 70 miles of the deep sea type, weighing
about two tons mile
The cable tanks are all connected by
ways or troughS. so that a transfer may
be made from one tank to another or
from any tank to either of the huge pay
ing out machines. Handling of the ca Bile
made necessary by such transfer IS usually
done by means of small engine connect
Cd with a drum. and an mounted on
/ truck, by which it may be moved about
the deck.
! A dynamOmeter indicates the amount of
strain to which the cable is subjected al
any moment. and also enables the man in
/ charge of the brake wheel 20 regulate the
strain put on by the BRAKE to suit the
varying conditions of laying After leaving
] the dynamometer It passes under and over
/ several large retarding wheels before
vending its sinuous way into the sea-
New York Evening Post.