ATLANTIC CABLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23027, 3 May 1938, Page 17

ATLANTIC CABLE

PLOUGHING in process protection from drags [from our own correspondent] NEW YORK. April 14 The cable ship Lord Kelvin left Now , or k last week on a unique mission—to P ough the Atlantic cable into tho ocean , Cu ' n order to protect it from heavy "ft known as otter-boards, which, tached to fishing nets, arc dragged °"g tho ocean bottom by steam ranlers. These are most numerous off 6 * ris h coast, and cause damage estiat.£l()°.ooo a year. , .hat is claimed to be the longest ?j| ain T evor manufactured is on board |5 e _ Lord Kelvin. It is comprised of <*iil n ' c .kel steel links, each weighing 41b. It is 1400 yards long, weighs 20 wns, and is capable of withstanding a inaximuni strain of 30 tons. En pi neers a plough which, in one operation, cuts a furrow in the ocean botwni and feeds the cable into the furrow, -hich closes over-behind it. t> , I } ec cssity for the task was a lino apable of resisting high stress, yet f, xible enough to permit control by the '■wnplicftiEJed paying-out equipment. Only * chain was found practicable. Each ri?+-r?* nS forged, and tested to a . ftipc-d proof-load before it was woven mto-Hhe chain. A , rho Kelvin will proceed to Irish nshing \pters, where it will begin Ploughing tho cables" under, at depths ranging from 500 to 2000 ft.