THE BROKEN CABLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9096, 3 July 1888, Page 5

THE BROKEN CABLES.

WAR SCARE IN AUSTRALIA

COUNCILS OF WAR, g. _ ■ ' :.. "

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, ADOPTED.

THE CHINESE SUSPECTEDi

STATEMENTS BY THE CABLE! AUTHORITIES. ' - V'' [press association.] ' Melbourne, July 2., The Governor held a Council of Waff yesterday, and the gunboat Albert wa3 sent to the Heads on patrol duty. The remainder of the fleet got up steam and was placed in fighting trim. The naval, submarine torpedo corps., and reserves were called out and ordered on board the respective vessels. Submarine ■ mines were laid down, and the electrio; light was used all night.

The scare resulting from the break in the cables is subsiding. The Government state that they merely used the occasion as a pretext for testing tha. alacrity of the forces.

Adelaide, July 2. . The breakage of the cables gave risa to great uneasiness here. A belief is growing that the snapping of the cables was the work of the Chinese, as a preliminary retaliation for restrictive legislation. A Council of War was held, and the gunboat Protector was placed in fighting trim. Tho members ....

of the Permanent Force were ordered to remain in barracks and at forts.

Sydney, July 2. The New South Wales Government feel no alarm at the sudden interruption of the cables.

Adelaide, July 2. Further tests made by the authorities show that both cables broke 'close together. The fault in the old cable is 858 miles from Port Darwin and iff. the new one 40 miles further oil

Wellington, Monday, ; Mr. Browning, Superintendent of 'the Cable Company at Whakapuaka, has received the following information from tha Superintendent at Port Darwin " Old cable was perfect on 29th, and we worked . on it to Singapore during the morning and night of 29tn. When the cables became interrupted, a test of both was made/ The breaks are between 800 and 900 miles from here. On testing with high battery power next morning a small fault of high resistance developed in the old cable, caused by defective point on the beach, but not sufficient to interfere with the working had the cable not been broken. : The cable is now perfect up to the break at about 850 miles from here. We only work one cable at a t'me, and immediately the new cable failec; we joined up on the old cable and fount, it had gone also." 'x - i '-instance between Banjoewangi and Pi?.-t.j«.i'Win is 1082 miles, which a steamer wosid cover in about four days. If the Cable Company send messages along in this way, as they ■ did some ; time ago, a batch ng-y be expected about Friday. The Sherard Osborne's engagement in New Zealand mil somewhat retard the labour of repairing the cable, as she is the .steamer best suited for work at long distances from ports. Her . mission here is all but finished, as the only work now left is the insertion of a piece of new cable in the single wire line which was " broken the other day. ;