Seward daily gateway., 1924-10-11

tie cable at ten a. m. yesterday m
 The Dellwood made wonderful trip leaving ketchikan at six a. m. Oct. 4, and laid 738 nautical miles, 3505 tons of cable, between that time and her arrival here. The congestion exist ing in communications since the inter ruption to cable service last spring, was immediately relieved before any attempt to secure cable terminals in the office was made; business lying at Seward being taken aboard ship, which was at all times in communica- tion with Ketchikan and Seattle, and all business from Seward and inter ion points, began to move in it's regu- lar channel.
 The Dellwood since January has travelled over forty thousand miles, having made two round trips to Lon don and Alaska, carrying cargo of wheat for Europe, laying TOPS tons, 1912 nautical miles of cable and be- fore returning home will make repairs on the old cable between Seward and Valdez; between Valdez and Cordova; between Skagway and Juneau and Petersburg and Juneau; also doing some work at Haines and Cape Fan shaw, and between Sitka and Peters burg.
 The new cable is submerged at an average deoth of 1700 fathoms, the deepest point being in the 145th meri- dian SEE of Middleton Island, where soundings showed depth of 2,413 fathoms; two portages were made ln- to and out of Ketchikan over Prince of Wales Island from Bucareli Bay to Kasaan Arm, it was necessary there to haul the cable by hand, drag ging it from the west side inland, and from the east side to the junction mid way. At present automatic relaylng of business between Seward and Seat tie or between Seward and Juneau IS possible, allowing this office direct communication at speed of seventy words minute. This improvement will take care of any immediate or near future demand for expeditions transmission of Alaskan traffic, and before developments are completed this speed will probably be materially increased.
 Every credit is due the gentlemen responsible for the successful comple- tion of this work. Not one minute has been lost from the day they left Seat tie on their first trip; day and night the work has been carried on regard less of conditions; at times men on the vessel have continuously stayed on watch for 72 hours, and every man on the vessel from the master down volunteered for the strenuous work of nulling cable thru muck, waist deep, over the portage.
 The Dellwood is without question, one of the best equipped cable ships in the world; nothing has been over looked in the matter of equipment that would in any way insure the success full completion and efficient operation of the Seward d-Seattle cable.
 Preliminary surveys were made by the U. s s. destroyers Hull and Cor ry from which a route was selected by the staff of the Dellwood, and this route followed absolutely. The Dell wood is equipped with Sonic depth finders, which allow the vessel to take soundings at all times; she is equip ped with one of the most efficient ra- dio compasses procurable, allowing her to take bearings on any shore ra- dio station; she is steered with Sperry Gyroscope Control, and uses the gyroscope compass which at all times gives a true north bearing.
 The Dellwood has five cable tanks which will carry 1900 miles of deep sea cable; she has complete carpenter and machine shops, and an electrical laboratory and testing room to allow any repairs or cable experiments.
 Remarking on the request of the Seward Chamber of Commerce and the citizens of this vicinity for the re- pair of the Seward Valdez cable dur ing the time the Dellwood was laying the Ketchikan cable; Major Larabee said, "We hope the citizens of Alas ka appreciate that we are working for their best interests; for had the Dell- wood then taken time to make this re- pair it might have been impossible to do this work, and so delayed the vessel that the completion of the new cable would have been impossible this year. Every effort is being made by the service to give Alaska efficient communication and we feel that the most satisfactory solution was to ex- pedite the laying of the new cable, guaranteeing thereafter uninterrupt- ed service"
 The Dellwood will probably leave