Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-03-15
MENDlNC A CABLE
The Swapping of a Submarine
Line Entails Hard Work.
LOCATING THE BREAK is EASY,
This Is Accomplished by the Use OF
Sensitive instruments. and Then
Comes the Difficult Task OF Graphing
and RAISING the Severed Ends.

The 700 mile cable that connected
Hamilton. bermuda. with Halifax.
Nova Scotia. had snapped. Somewhere
under many fathoms OF water lay the
two broken ends. perhaps only "A few
inches apart-more likely half mile
or so FROM each other-carried from
their accustomed bed by the wash OF
the waves Until the two ends were
connected the thousands aud thousands
OF dollars invested In the cable were
bringing no income
AS the result Of the accident Hamil-
ton was practically Isolated from the
rest OF the world. for the only other
cable went 10 jamaica BY sending
message 10 Jamaica and having ii re
layed TO Newfoundland and thence by
TO get few words through In fairly
short time But the tolls were enor
mously high
The moment the operator at Halifax
found that the key on the Bermuda
cable did no; respond TO his touch he
reported the fact to his superior In the
Halifax office Orders few back and
forth. telephone bells rang. messengers
scurried In and ont OF the office. and
IN few hours the cable repair steam
er was on its way 10 Bermuda
The operators ut Halifax and Hamil
ton had located the break II was
about six miles from the Hamilton end
OF the cable This they calculated
with sensitive Instruments used 10 re-
cord the resistance
The writer was In Hamilton when
the Mackay- Bennett steamed into the
harbor and through the courtesy OF
the captain was on board when the
steamer went out and grappled for the
ends OF the cable and restored 1t TO
usefulness
Even when the captain OF a cable re
pair ship knows that the break is about
six miles from one end It's no easy
affair 10 pick up the big wire ropes
The floor OF the ocean Is uneven. and
he must allow for slack.
The crew was ready when the ship
stopped With splash the biz crap
mel went overheard. and yard after
yard OF line was paid out until the
hook touched bottom The water was
100 fathoms ,720 feet deep nj that
spot
Luck was with the cable ship SO
well had the captain calculated that
fH.. - h..
up one end OF the broken cable. II
was hauled on board The electricians
attached their instruments and called
Hamilton The station answered i'm
mediately
huge buoy was attached 10 the
heavy wire rope and lowered into tl'
water Then we set out 10 hnd the
other end
Cast after east of the graphing hook
and not even aibble from the missing
ther the cable ship worked away from
the hnoy At last after three hours
work the grannei resisted the pu'l
The fish had been caught There wn-
n cheer from the crew us II was puil
ed on board about n quarter OF u.."
from the other rud
This end WIS connected with teir
graph instrument and the operator ~
Balifax. about 700 miles away. an
swered rhcrc WAS nothing more To- d'
except To join the broken ends
4 new section OF cable was carefully
spiced TO the cable that had just be,'n
picked up ihe cable was paid oui
over the Stern nS we steamed buck to
the BUOY This was hauled on board
and the broken end spliccd to the new
piece OF cable. an operation consumiua
less than half nn houi The repaired
cable. MS good as new was dropped
overheard TO resume its place on the
oceans bed
Rarely does n cable repair ship have
such good luck often storms arise
which drive the ship from her course
tear the buoys from the ends they mold
aud compel the work TO he done over
again
In northern waters these conditions
are felt al their worst The snip h.
comes crusted with ice. IL Is ditiicn'
20 maneuvef and doubly so 10 dra
with cable Oh TOW or stern when tn'
roll OF the seas threatens to fracturr q
again. and the launching OF boats W''i
men In them to buoy loose end b
hazardous
From these causes occasionally can''
ships get short OF coal and have q
abandon work temporarily al criiira
periods. or they are enmeshed aun"n-
the ice Hoes or bergs and have 10 q"
go an and retreat Kari Il. Kitchen ~
New York World
a Stas Idea
Smail Edgar happened TO see tn
new nunn Mamma ne qurrlvc
did God make that muunf"