TWO CABLE'S BROKEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15880, 20 July 1922, Page 7

TWO CABLE'S BROKEN

TROUBLE IN COOK STRAIT,

The fact that two cables across Cook Strait were broken was referred to at Auckland by the chief telegraph engineer, Air. E. A. Shrimpton, who stated that the cable steamer Iris had gono south to effect repairs. One cable broke last week and the other three weeks ago. The cause was the wear and tear on the bottom of Cook Strait, where there was a good deal of rough weather and tide-way. The, machine printing telegraph system had so relieved the pressure on the lines between Wellington and Christchurch, and Mr. Shrimpton, that it had not been urgent to repair the first break at once and now the repairs for the two cables could be undertaken together. The work was an expensive matter, as the use of the Iris cost, tiie department 190 guineas a day, which represented an extravagant sum if the steamer had to be commissioned for every break. New cables across Cook Strait had been known to break within two years after laying down, a great deal depending upon whether they found at smooth bottom or not. On the other hand, acable between Lyall Bay and White’s Bay bad given unbroken service for 20 years, and another between Wanganui and Waknpuaka had been down 35 years before trouble developed.