SECOND BREAK FOUND IN CABLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 143, 30 March 1948, Page 2

SECOND BREAK FOUND IN CABLE

UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 29. A second break in the Auckland Norfolk Island cable was discovered near the shore at Doubtless Bay this morning when tests were made from the Matai, which is working as a cable repair ship. The first break, which brought the Matai north, was located recently about 30 miles off Cape Brett, and that found this morning was about four miles from the Doubtless Bay cable hut, a. short distance from Mangonui. Cable engineers working in the ship said this, afternoon that the occurrence of two breaks in one cable at the same time was unusual. An inspection showed that chemical action had eaten away the heavy steel armouring and severed the inner armour and core. About two feet of broken end was sawn off, and will bo sent to the London laboratories of Cable and Wireless, Ltd., for examination. The cable has. not been raised at this point since it was laid in 1912. Tests taken from the ship to-day confirmed the position of the original break, and the ship left for the Cape area this evening. The repair work will he done to-morrow. An alteration to the AucldandNorfolk Island cable route, which was authorised by Cable and Wireless, Ltd., from London last night will then, be put into effect. This involves eliminating a loop going from the north into Doubtless Bay and then out, to Auckland. This loop has been used since the cable was laid, but in future there will be no contact, with the land between Auckland and Norfolk Island. Elimination of the loop will obviate the need to replace the heavy shore end of the cable at Doubtless P»ay, and is expected to reduce the possibility of-interference.