COOK STRAIT CABLES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 201, 22 May 1936, Page 6

COOK STRAIT CABLES

Repairs to be Made Repairs to telegraphic cables across Cook Strait are to be made soon. The first to receive attention will be the one from Lyall Bay to White’s Bay, near Blenheim. This single-core cable used for telegraph communication has given good service for 30 years, and this is only the second time it has re qnired attention. One break is three miles from the Lyall Bay end and an other 12 miles farther out. The cable from Oterangi Bay to White’s Bay will also be repaired, a fault having de veloped offshore from White’s Bay. Al though the actual fault is only three miles out. it will be necessary to replace 12 miles of the cable because so much lias been deeply burled In the detritus carried down by the Wairau River.

The Kohi. the scow which operates in the coastal trade between Welling ton and Nelson, will be used to lay the new shore ends of the cables. The depth of water Is not sufficient near the shore to permit the cable-ship Re corder to work, consequently the Kohi which was built for work in shallow waters, and draws a little over four feet of water, is ideal for the job.

Next week-end the Kohi is to lay throe miles of cable from the shore end at White’s Bay. and the following week-end will lay another three miles from Lyall Bay The Recorder will finish the work which the Kohi has begun, arriving in Wellington early next week.