FIRST OCEAN CABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 261, 3 November 1928, Page 10

FIRST OCEAN CABLE.

A PIECE IN AUCKLAND.

KEPT AS FAMILY HEIRLOOM.

MR. FILMER'S MEMORIES.

Few people who read that interesting article in last. Saturday's "Star" supplement about the laying of the first submarine cable under the English Channel, between Dover and Cape Gris Nez in France would be aware that a piece of the actual • cable was in the possession of an Auckland resident. Mr. John Filmer, of 9, Stratford Street, Parnell, called at the "Star" office this morning and showed a two-inch piece of the identical cable, which has been treasured in his family as an heirloom ever since the day bis father brought it home in,the year 1850. His father was one of the crew of the paddle-tug Goliath that laid the cable. Afterwards he was in the Navy and took part in the famous naval expedition to the Baltic during the- Crimean War. Oldtimers may remember a fine picture of the departure of the- fleet of magnificent three-deckers, all sail set, which appeared in the "London Illustrated -News.-"

' In the account of the cable-laying it wag mentioned that a French fisherman, soon after it was laid, picked it up with his anchor, or some of his trawling gear, . and not knowing anything about submarine cables, Lad severed it with his knife, and hauled into his boat as much as it would hold, and then took it into Boulogne, where bis reception can be imagined. Cutting a cable with a knife seems rather an exaggeration, but this, . the first of all submarine cables, was a very slight affair. The piece Mr. Filmer. possesses is about five-eighths of ah * invh in diameter. There are eeven thin copper wires in the centre, then a thick insulation of some material that looks like tarred rope, and the outside is armoured with a covering of thin steel or iron wires—but nothing like the substantial affair that they make of a modern cable. 11 ." ~?9t eVen to-day, though submarine .'i"JMtaS;'#re made so much stronger, the actual thickness of the longest cables in the world—those over the Atlantic or the Pacific, for instance—is very much r lea» than most people would imagine.

The Pacific cable in the deep * ocean stretches is just under an inch in diameter. Of course, where it nears the shore and is subject to wave influence, it is much heavier and thicker, and much more heavily armoured.

Mr. Filmer says he well remembers seeing small pieces of the first DoverGris Nez cable mounted in gold and worn by gentlemen on their watch chains—such was the interest caused by this novel method of linking up France and England. Born 78 years ago, Mr. Filmer came o New Zealand in the famous old ship the Ida Zeigler, in 1867, the year before she was wrecked on the beach at Napier—an event Mr. Filmer remembers well, as he watched the tragedy from the top of Barrack Hill. From Napier, the Filmers came to Auckland. Mr. Filmer was in the Northern Company for thirty years. He served on the s.s. Rowena, the first steamer brought out by Captain McGregor, and also in the lona, two of the vessels which afterwards became the nucleus of the Northern Company. Chatting about old times,, he mentioned what fine work used to be put into the steamers in his younger days, and instanced the veteran s.s. Clansman, which was launched forty-four years ago, and is still a useful unit in the white funnel fleet. Mr. Filmer remembers when she had the electric light installed. 'When she came out to New Zealand the lighting was done with oil lamps. The Clansman .has a wonderful set of engines in her. Already they have seen two boilers installed, and while many parts have been renewed, many of_ the most important parts are the original ones put in by the faithful Scottish engineers who built the job.