THE FINAL SPLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15168, 6 December 1912, Page 8

THE FINAL SPLICE.

CABLE-LAYING COMPLETED,

TO BE OPENED AT NEW. IEAK.

The cable steamer Iris relumed to Auckland yesterday morning, having'laid the last length of 52 miles of tho cable between Auckland and Doubtless Bay, thus completing for the Pacific Cable Board an unbroken connection from Montreal in Canada, to Auckland. It may be explained that the Pacific Cable Board owns a direct overland line from Montreal-to Vancouver, and it now only remains for the Board to complete its line from Montreal to tho English coaet for a direct cable to bo established between London and Auckland. The chartered cable steamer Silvertown laid tho direct cable from Sydney to Muriwai, and also the link from Takapuna to the North of Cape Brett. It remained for the Iris to make the final coupling from I Doubtless Bay to Capo Brett, and this was carried out, with due ceremony, on Wednesday morning. The Iris left Auckland on Monday afternoon, and picked up the end of the Takapuna-Cape Brett portion of the cable on Tuesday morning, the Silvertown being hailed at 5 a.m. The men on the Ins spliced their end of the cable to the end left by the Silvertown, and proceeded to steam north to Doubtleiis Bay, a distance of 52 miles. At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, when almost the whole distance had been covered, a thick rainstorm came on, and the cable which the vessel was laying had to be buoyed. The Iris steamed about all night. On Wednesday morning, when the weather cleared, it was found that the buoy supporting the end of the cable lying seawards from Doubtless Bay was only one mile distant. The end of the cable from Auckland was again picked up, and at.one p.m. the Iris had so far completed the work that the two ends were ready for coupling.. All on board the Iris 'assembled. on deck, and as the final splice was made three cheers were given in honour of the completion of the cable now extending from Montreal to Auckland. The district telegraph engineer (Mr. R. M. Baird) made tho trip on the Iris. • On Wednesday evening, as the vessel was on the return journey to Auckland, a number of toasts were honoured. Speeches were raade congratulating tho various officials of the Board, and congratulating Mr. Baird on his supervision of the overland part, of tho work from Takapuna to Shoal Bay. Messrs. Crawford, Dearlove, Rymer-Jones, Robinson, and Perryman, prominent Cable Board officials, and Captain Sharpe, and Messrs. Holmes (chief officer) and Hughes (navigation officer) of the Iris, were present. The Silvertown members of the party transferred to the Iris off Cape Brett early on Tuesday morning to assist in the linking up of the cable.

The Norfolk Island staff of the Pacific Cable Board ■will bo transferred to Auckland at the end of this month. It is hoped that the new cables will be opened for public business on January 1.