TRENCHES FOR CABLES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 74, 24 September 1938, Page 25

TRENCHES FOR CABLES

PROTECTION FROM

TRAWLERS

A development in cable-laying 'is announced b"y the Western Union Telegraph Company. The cable is now trenched into the ocean bed by means of"a plough, says "The Times," with the object of protecting it from the risk of damage from the trawling gear of fishing fleets. The" company states" that its highspeed permalloy loaded Atlantic cable has been successfully trenched into the ocean bed across the area frequented by the hake fishing fleet, 100 miles from the Irish coast. Trawling gear is the cause of damage to cables from time to time, and the necessary repairs are a heavy item in the cable companies' expense. In order to reduce the risk of damage and the cost of repairs the Western Union Company, over four years ago, began experiments in cable-laying with a plough towed by the cable ship. These experiments were carried on each summer by the cable ship Lord Kelvin, and the process can now be regarded as having reached the practical stage. The development of technique to ensure the success of cable work of this kind in depths up to 450 fathoms has involved the design by the company's engineers of a plough 20ft long and weighing nine tons, with a share hav-. ing a cutting edge of stellite and of a remote-recording indicator system, giving a continuous graphical record on, the bridge of the cable ship of all movements on both plough and cable. A special nickel-steel stud-link chain had to be manufactured in one length of'42ooft. It is stated that,' of the nine other Atlantic cables operated by the company, seven are exposed to the risk of trawler damage in varying degrees, and it is intended to protect them in the same way. THE SHIP MYSTERY * "Retrospect" asks for details of the sailing ship Mystery in which, he says, his father arrived in New Zealand "sometime in the sixties." The Mystery, a fine, powerful ship of 1069 tons, sent out by the White Star Company, made three successful voyages to New Zealand with passengers and general cargo, according to* Brett's "White Wings." On the first occasion she sailed into Lyttelton Harbour on March 20, j 1859, with the yellow flag flying. I Captain Matthews reported having I sail&d from London en December 29, 1858. Soon after clearing the land smallpox and scarlet fever broke out, and before teaching Lyttelton fifteen j of the 300 immigrants on board had: died and been biiried at sea. The ship made a good run of 83 days, land to land, or 91 port to port. On arrival the ship was placed under quarantine. The Mystery made a second voyage to Lyttelton in 1862 under the command of Captain Stapp. On this occasion she sailed from London with 208 Government immigrants on October 18, 1861, and arrived at Lyttelton on January 3, 1862, having completed another smart passage of 80 days, port to port. The Mystery, still under the command of Captain Stapp, sailed from London with 85 passengers on December 12, 1863, and arrived at Port Chalmers on April 17, 1864. She was detained in the English Channel for 18 days by furious gales and did not take her final departure until DevemfefflfSfc _, J