GRAPPLING FOR THE COOK STRAIT CABLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4344, 21 January 1876, Page 2

GRAPPLING FOR THE COOK STRAIT CABLE.

ON BOARD LUNA, WEDNESDAY.

111 success seemed to have no depressing effect—all was activity at an unearthly hour this morning; and long before the sleepers had any idea of rousing themselves, the tramping of feet and rattling of chains showed that the grappling had commenced By seven o'clock several casts had been made, bus tliere was no luck. We were either on the wrong line, or else the ruggedness of the rocky bottom caused the grapnel to jump too much. The ship was frequently brought up, but only till the hawser came perpendicular under the bow, when it used to relieve itself by a jerk, and a fresh cast had to be made, the position being shifted more or less each time. About breakfast time we were hooked, without any mistake, and the strain became greater and greater as the weight rose from the bottom, The engine, which had been running in single gear, was brought to a standstill, and had to be thrown into double gear. This made the strain slower, steadier, and more powerful. The hawser creaked and groaned

("talking," sailors call it) so ominously, and stretched so much, that it was expected to snap momentarily. The cable, or whatever had been grappled, was over 30 fathoms off the bottom; there were 30 more to come in. Suddenly a, cog of the driving wheel flew, then another and another snapped, and apprehension was felt that the wheel would take a run aad strip, sending its teeth flying in all directions ; another revolution, and it looked as if it would do so, for four cogs snapped all together, and the engine had to be stopped to prevent an accident. Here was a quandary ; it was impossible to make another revolution with the same strain on, and, even if the machinery had not broken, the hauling-in hawser was ready to do so—it seemed to be like a camel wanting the Last feather to break his baelc If anything was to be done, it should be quickly. The appearance of the hawser showed there was no time io hesitate. After a moment's consultation, Captain Fairchild bent a spare grapnel to a Europe rope, and took a few turns around the steamer's shaft and set the engines to work. This took the weight off the first rope and grapnel, but very few feet were gained by this plan before the Europe rope snapped. A fresh, turn was taken, but it snapped again very soon. A very fine new five inch Manilla hawser was let down over the bow with a third grapneL This also took hold and relieved the other two lof the strain upon them. There was no doubt as to the strength of the shaft, and the power of the steamer was more than sufficient to lift what was on, but unfortunately the gear possessed only a modicum of those qualities, and it became perfectly clear that as the strain increased in proportion ai the surface _ was neared something must go, and as the machinery would in any tase have to be repaired before the work in feand could be carried out, it was decided to wake a virtue of necessity, by allowing the cable to slip back to its bed, extricate the «rapnels if possible, and then buoy the lot. This was successfully performed, and after altowiug the steuraer to drift along the cable, the third grapnel disengaged itself and was hailed in. The other two, however, were not to be loosened, and they and 'all the rope attached to them a,se now lying along with the cable. "Before parting with the hawsers a couple of flagged buoys were attached to them, by a thin but strong wire rope, well calculated for such work in a tide, from the fact of the slight resisting surface presented. It was calculated that the cable was grappled over a mile from the break, and that the strain was still further increased by tho cable being jammed soinewhuvs under an overhanging rock, or iv some auch way. A new driving wheel will have to he cast before operations will be resumed. The bearings of the buoy are as follows :•—- From Sinclair Hoftd, S. 40ilns:., distant 2J miles; from Karori llodf, S. 20deg., distant. 24 miUs,