REPAIRING THE CABLES.

Colonist, Volume XLIV, Issue 10082, 15 April 1901, Page 3

REPAIRING THE CABLES.

VISIT OF S.S. RECORDER TO CABLE BAY. COST TO THE COMPANY OF £17,000. [By Telegraph.! (Per United Press Association.) Wakapuaka, April 13. The Eastern Extension Cable Company's repairing steamer Recorder arrived in the Bay this afternoon. She has been repairing one of the cables between Australia and New Zealand, and called in here to make sure that the splice in the cable which was paid over the ship's side in a very heavy gale, had not parted before it had reached the bottom. Everything being found satisfactory, her stay here was of very short duration, and she sailed at tbree 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 cabhs, which connect Australia and New Zealand. Towards the end of last year she was summoned from the East ifi mend one of the cables which had suddenly parted, some 330 miles off the New Zealand coast, and communication was completely restored early in 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 spell of bad weather, this proved to be a protracted job, and it was not until a few days ago that 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 the same cable. This time the fl »w was about 315 miles from New Zealand. The Recorder immediately left for the locality, and as the result of a smart piece of work had the 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 both cables are now in first-class working order, and as electrically perfect as the day they were laid. The officers of the Cable Company at La Perose and Wakapuaka have had a most anxious time during the last three months. It is difficult to attribute these recent breaks to any particular circumstances, but the general opinion is that the more serious of the breaks were due to a rocky piece of bottom on which the cable are resting, the action of the undercurrent rendering the line subject to continual grinding over a sharp rocky ledge. The nature of the breaks was not consistent with the theory of o volcanic action, whioh was at first entertained. As an example of the

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costly work the Cable Company have to undertake, owing to unforseen circumstances, it may be mentioned that the repairs and renewals just carried out will cost the Eastern Extension Cable Company not less than seventeen thousand pounds. It is fortunate that the Company has two cables between Australia and New Zealand, as it has ensured uninterrupted communication between Australia and New Zealand since 1890, when the second cable was laid.