The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-03-14


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 few
inches apart-mOre likely half a 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 and 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 TO jamaica BY sending a
message 10 Jamaica and having it re.
layed TO Newfoundland and thence by
telegraph TO New York It was possible
10 get few words through I'm a fairly
short time. But the tolls were enor
mously high.
The moment the operator NJ Halifax
found that the key on the Bermuda
cable did not respond TO his touch be
reported the fact 10 his superior IN the
Halifax Office. Orders few back and
forth, telephone bells rang, messengers
scurried I'm and out Of the Office, and
I'm n few hours the cable repair steam
or was on It's way 20 Bermuda.
The operators at Halifax and IIamil
ton had located the break IL was
about six miles from the Hamilton end
OF the cable This they calculated
with sensitive instruments used TO re
cord the resistance"
The writer was in Hamilton when
the Mackay- Bennett steamed into the
harbor and through the coytesy OF
the captain was on board when the
steamer went out and grappled for the
ends Of the cable and restored it to
usefulness.
Even when the captain OF cable rc.
pair ship knows that the break is about
six miles from one end It's no easy
affair TO pick up the big wire ropes
The floor OF the ocean is uneven, ana
he must allow for slack.
The crew was ready when the ship
stopped. with splash the big crap
mel went overheard, and yard after
yard OF line was paid out until the
hook touched bottom. The water was
100 fathoms 02O fccb deep at that
spot
Y,a,. ,,.,., Nth tbo cobio chin Co
well had the captain calculated that
the very first cast OF the hook brought
up one end of the broken cable II
was hauled on board The electricians
attached their instruments and called
Hamilton The station answered Inn
medlately.
A huge buoy was attached TO the
heavy wire rope and lowered into the
water Then we set out TO find the
other end.
Cast after cast OF the grappllng hook
and not even nibble from the missing
part of the cable Farther and FAR.
ther the cable ship worked away from
the buoy. At last. after three hours
work. the grapncl resisted The pull
The fish had been caught There was
cheer from the crew MS IL was pun
ed on board, about quarter OF mile
from the other end
This end was connected with q tclc
graph instrument, and the operator 0t
Halifax, about 200 miles away, 0u
swered. There was nothing more 90 du
except to join the broken ends
A new section OF cable was carefully
spllced to the cable that had just been
picked up. The cable was paid uW
over the stern rs we steamed uIrk Co.
the buoy This was hauled on board
and the broken end spllced TO the new
piece OF cable, an operation consumiug
less than half an hour The repaired
cable, MS good rs new, was dropped
overheard to resume its place ON the
oceans bed.
Rarely does a cable repair ship have
such good luck OFTEN storms arise
which drive the ship from her course,
tear the buoys from the ends they hold
and compel the work 20 be done over
again
In northern waters these conditions
are felt at their worst The ship be
comes crustcd with ice, It is difficult
10 maneuver and doubly SO 60 do1l
with n cable ON bow or stern when the
roll OF the seas threatens To fracture it
again, and the launching OF boats with
men I'm them TO buoy a loose end Is
hazardous
From these causes occasionally cable
ships get short OF coal and have to
periods. or they are enmcshed among
the ice hurS or hcrgS and have to let
go all and retreat, Kari Is. Kitchen In
New York World.
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