The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-10-12
Laying Cables
Dangerous Job

message OF that number of words can
be sent to England In one and one
quarter minutes.
The first cable across the Atlantic
was In operation until october 20, that
year, when 1t broke down. 1t was
operated by means of large induction
coils and batteries with q potential
Of 500 volts or more.
The next attempt to lay cable was
made In 1855. A contract for a new
line had been given to an English COM
pany. This cable weighed 300 pounds
to the mile instead Of lot, the weight
of the old. The Great Eastern, large
ocean-goins steamship, was chartered
for the trip. On July %, 1885, with
Cyrus Field aboard, the ship started
westward from Valentia. Everything
went well until the vessel was within
600 miles OF the Newfoundland coast,
when the cable broke. Attempts were
made to recover 1t at the time, but
these were unsuccessful. Field and mis-
men had to turn back and report their
iii luck.
Lost Cable Retrieved.
Preparations were made for fur
ther attempt on July IS, 1866, the
Great Eastern started from Valentia
on her second voyage. This proved to
be triumphant one. The ship
reached Trinity bay, Nova Scotia, with.
out mishap on July q, and the two
hemispheres were again Joined by
means Of cable communication. On
the return trip to Europe the Great
Eastern made a search for the cable
lost the previous year and luckily
enough found 1t. This was Joined to a
new section which was laid the re-
maining distance to Nova Scotia and
thus two transatlantic cables went into
operation In that year.
To give the reader some idea Of the
cable rates to Europe In those days 1t
might be stated that in 1865 the mini.
mum rate for 20-word message was
$780, The minimum rate, or deferred
service rate, today for similar mes
sage is only 81, and the deferred
service message of the present reaches
It's destination sooner than did the fast
messages in 1886.
Although 1t Is almost three-fourths
of century since oceanic telegraph
communication was established, most
people know little about the making
and laying Of cables. The heart Of the
cable Is the conductor and this, through
which the electrical impulses are trans
mitted, Is composed of the purest quail
ity of copper. Since cables lie at the
bottom of the ocean In depths ranging
from two to three thousand fathoms,
or between two and three miles deep,
and as the lifting Of cable from such
n depth involves great strain upon
1t and all the materials used In its
construction, II will be understood
that fiexibility must be reckoned with.
Delicate Work Involved.
The copper core Is manufactured In
lengths of about three miles and ia
.coiled temporarily on drums. These
lengths of core later are Joined to-
gether and the Jointlng is Of the great.
Ncs shiPOsNuAtSs ~ 10 uOIc ny uuIlu
and requires skillful workmanship. II
nny dust or gasses are allowed to re-
main or to form In the gutta percha
while making joint 1t may mean the
loss Of thousands of dollars, because
this weakness will not become apparent
until the cable is submerged and thus
placed under great pressure, when the
most minute lmpurity or gus bubble In
the joint would manifest itself and
cause faulty electrical continuity. The
deep-sea cable Jointer must be man
of temperate habits and In good health
1t may seem almost inconcelvable, but
numerous joints made by sklllful but
Incorporate or unhealthy jointers have
proved faulty through what was be
ileved to be the injurious exudations
from the pores Of the fingers. This will
give some-idea of the extreme delicacy
and Importance Of perfect jointlng.
Over the gutta percha insulation a
brass tape Is wound which protects the
insulation against attacks Of an
aqueous worm. known as the teredo.
In the manufacture of the new
Gable for the Mackay system more