CABLE BAY, NELSON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 27, 4 July 1891, Page 128

CABLE BAY, NELSON.

LUNG a beautiful road winding in and out r ■ along the sea-border past the VVakapuaka hills the traveller by road, after a sixteen//SW mile drive, arrives at Cable Bay, the terminus of the Trans pacific cables. From here there are three cables, one to Wanganui and > two to ‘ La Perouse,’ Botany Bay, New . South Wales. The two latter were laid in p 1876 and 1890, respectively, the old cable »' ' being 1,282 miles in length, and costing roughly over ail £300,000. The new cable with spare lengths and instruments cost the Company about £200,000, and is 40 miles longer than the old. The meclianici’n: for testing the currents is of the most elaborate order. The lightning guards being especially wonders of ingenuity. The cable- themselves are composed of from six to eight layers of material. Taking the old Australian cable as a specimen we find in the centre the wire proper, consisting of seven strands of copper wire, this being covered by a tolerably thick layer of Willoughby Smith’s compound of gutta percha, weighing 130 lbs. tother.iile. This is wrapped round with white tape, and outside again a tape made of a brassy-looking material know as ‘ Muntz metal,’ and next comes a thin strip of hemp soaked in stearine. The ‘ coat of the cable is formed of strong strands of iron wire and hemp rope. The power used is a Minotti electric battery, being a modification of a muti-cellnlar Daniel batterv. In the Australian cables the greatest sea depth is from 2.700 to 2,800 fathoms, and there are five different ‘ types ’ of cable used, the thickness and resisting power varying with the depth of water, the stronger cables being used at the shallower portions, and rrec versa. The receiving instruments are most interesting. In the receiver generally used the message is actually wiitten on slips of paper by a tiny tube of glass containing ink. This tube is set in motion by the deviations of the magnets, and writes on a revolving scroll. In case of powerful electrical disturbances the old flame method is used. Mr W. W. Browning, who was most kind in affording us all information, said that it required at least two year's experience to become familiar with this method. The Eastern Extension Company afford

every inducement to their cadets to stay with them, and provide a nice house, boats, billiard table, etc., to occupy their leisure. The Government officers are situated immediately behind the Company's receiving rooms, and the staff reside at the Bay. Cable Bay is a charming spot altogether, and we have nothing but pleasant memories of our day at the Cable Station. The accompanying sketch shows the station from the Boulder Bank, which stretches across to Pepin's Island.