CABLE REPAIRING

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4331, 15 April 1901, Page 7

CABLE REPAIRING

ITiESS ASSOCIATION. WAKAPUAKA, April 13. The Eastern Extension Cable Com-, panv’s repairing steamer Recorder arrived in the Bay this afternoon. She had been, repairing one of ■ the cables between Australia and New Zcauind, anil called in boro to make sure tout the splice in the cable, which was paid over the ship’s side in a very heavy gaits had nob parted before it reached the bottom. Everything being found satisfactory, hor-stay hero wru; of very short* duration;, and she sailed at three o’clock for Sydney, where she coals prior to her return' to Singapore, the headquarters of the company in the East. The Recorder has for the past three months been engaged in repairing and renovating both the cables which connect Australia and'New Zealand. Towards the end of last year she was summoned from the East to mend one of the cables which had suddenly narted 1,0130 330 miles off the New Zealand coast. Communication was completely restored early iu February. ’ She then turned her attention to a small fault which was found to exist in the other cable, a few miles from the Sydney end. Owing to a long period of bad weather, this proved to ho a protracted undertaking, and it was not until a few days ago iha-t this wire was passed, as being in perfect working order. The vessel then returned to Sydney, and was on the point of leaving for the East when another flaw suddenly made its appearance in tho sauio cable, this time about 315 miles from New Zealand. Tho Recorder immediately left, for tho locality, and as the result of smart work, had tho fault located and removed on Thursday last. She came on to Wakapuaka. to make certain of the final tests. To-day's tests proved that,loth, cables are now in first-class working order, and as electrically perfect, as the day they were laid. Tho officers of the Cable Company at La Perouse and, Wakapuaka have had an. anxious time during the* last three months. It ip difficult to attribute those recent breaks to any particular circumstance, but tho general opinion is that tho more serious of tho breaks were duo to a rocky piece of bottom on which the cables are resting, tho action of an under-currcnt, rendering the lines subject to continual grinding over sharp, rocky ledges. The nature of the breaks was not consistent with the theory cf volcanic action, which was at. first- entertained. As an example of tho costly work tho. cable companies have to undertake, owing dp unforeseen circumstances, it may bo mentioned that the repairs' and renewals just carried out will cost the Eastern Extension Cable Company not less than £17,000. It is fortunate that tho company has two cables between Australia. ;iud New Zealand, as it lias ensured uninterrupted communication between the two countries since 1890, when the second cable was laid.