FIRST COOK STRAIT CABLE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 11

FIRST COOK STRAIT CABLE

Seventieth Anniversary EVENTS OF 1866 RECALLED Users of the telephone service across Cook Strait welcome the announcement of the Postmaster-General, Hon. F. Jones, that a new cable will be laid. During peak periods some urgent calls have had to wait for as long as two hours. The announcement is timely in two senses, because September 26 will be the seventieth anniversary of the opening of the first Cook Strait cable in 1866. On December 6, 1864, Mr. G. Elliott, secretary of the General Post Office, Auckland, wrote to Mr. Alfred Sheath, telegraphic engineer at Christchurch, asking him to report on the best place for the cable and the probable cost, and he enclosed a copy of a resolution of the House: “Resolved that a submarine line of telegraph be laid across Cook’s Strait to connect Wellington with the telegraph system of the middle Island.” Apparently nothing happened for several months. In May, 1865, Mr. Elliott again wrote Mr. Sheath, saying: “I have to remind you that no reply has yet been received from you, and to request your attention to the matter at your earliest convenience.” Difference with Minister. Mr. Sheath replied after a fortnight. He said he had suggested to the Post-master-General that it would be “a matter of great importance to get soundings taken to ascertain the nature of the bottom. . According to Mr. Sheath the Postmaster-General replied: “It is not the intention of the Government to take any immediate steps toward laying the submarine cable across Cook’s Strait. When the land communication becomes further advanced, this will be taken into consideration.” Continuing his letter, Mr. . Sheath said he had consulted the Admiralty Charts and Pilot Guide, in the absence of a survey and concluded that the cable would need to be laid in a slight curve between Cloudy Bay and Lyall Bay to avoid a deep hole in the middle of the strait. “The distance is ’about 38 miles,” he said, “and if we allow 10 per cent, for slack and casualties the whole length of cable will be about 42 miles. I should recommend very strong cable owing to the shallowness of Cook's Strait, to render it dess liable to breakage in case of accident by fouling of anchors.” Friction existed between Mr. Sheath and the secretary or. the PostmasterGeneral (Mr. Richardson) as was manifested some years later. The next move was in June, 1865, when Mr. Elliott wrote Mr. Sheath in reply: “Your letter under reply implies that a survey of the strait is necessary as a preliminary measure. The PostmasterGeneral is at a loss to conceive why, if you are of the opinion that the Admiralty Charts did not give you suflicient data for the formation of an opinion, you did not point it out at the time, instead of allowing so many months to elapse, and your attention to be recalled to the point. I have now to inform you that a survey of the strait has been ordered.” Engineer’s Report. In August, 1866, several vessels were used for laying the cable, but several mishaps occurred and some fishing and splicing had to be done. At length on August 28, 1866, Mr. Sheath reported the success of the difficult project as follows: — “At 5 a.m. on August 25, the s.s. St. Kilda left Wellington to pick up the portion of the cable lying between Lyall’s Bay and Sinclair’s Head. At 7 a.m. the cable was secured to the drum and the coiling on board immediately commenced. The work continued to be performed in a most satisfactory manner till we arrivel off Sinclair’s Head, when the tide became too strong and the ground too foul to continue operations. We, therefore, at 4 p.m. cut the cable after buoying it, and proceeded with the four miles we had picked up to Port Underwood for the night. The First Message. “At 5 a.m. on August 26 w’e started in search of the buoy, and the splice was made. At noon the paying-out machinery was in motion and we anchored in White’s Bay (near Blenheim), having paid out three miles of cable, at 1.35 p.m. At 2 p.m. I went ashore to lead the line wires into the cable-house when, at 4.30, just as all the instruments were fixed, the cheers of the workmen announced that the cable was on the shore I At 5 p.m. the cable was carried along the trench and fixed in the cable-house and, in a few minutes more I had signalled the first telegram congratulating his Excellency the Governor and his Ministers on the safe landing of Cook’s Strait cable. “After watching the successful work-

ing between Wellington and Blenheim, we proceeded to the steamer in hopes of reaching Wellington that night. No sooner had the engines started, however, when they were brought up and stopped, and it was evident that something was foul of the screw. Mr, Donovan, being an excellent swimmer, volunteered to examine the cause of the stoppage. He reported the cable was foul of the screw aiuj must be cut! A further examination was made by Mr. Donovan and Captain Mundle conjointly. A cut and splice were made at 7 a.m. The cable was found in order at 7.40 a.m.” The cost was £26,508 for cable; £2500 for freight from London; and £856 for expenses of laying—a total of £29,864.