HOW OCEAN CABLES ARE REPAIRED.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XXV, 24 June 1899, Page 874

HOW OCEAN CABLES ARE REPAIRED.

In an interview in the ‘Church Family Newspaper,’ an official of the Eastern Telegraph Company describes the process of picking up and repairing a cable at sea. He says:—‘The picking up may- be done in any depth —from the most shallow water to a sounding of considerably- more than 2000 fathoms. The grapnel being thrown overboard attached to a manilla rope, the repairing vessel drags it across the path- of the cable, until at length the cable is hooked and brought up.’ ‘Does it ever bring up anything from the bed of the ocean besides the cable?’ ‘We have somehimes fished up live sea serpents and all sorts of marine growths, specimens of which are preserved in our company’s board-room. But it does not always follow- that as soon as we have fished up a broken cable we can splice it together there and then. The one end of a cable may- be buoyed, but before the ship can catch hold of the other end foul weather may- arise, which would necessitate standing off or seeking shelter. It depends greatly on the weather whether a final splicing can be done in good time.’ ‘How do those on board the vessel know whether the repair they have effected is all right?’ ‘Well, as a matter of fact, if they are in midocean they do not know until they arrive in port, where they- would be informed whether the cable is in in working order again.’ ‘And those in charge of the cable ends, when do they get to know when the repair is about finished?’ ‘They- are better off than the repairing vessel, which is in midocean, because just before the cable is about to be finally- committed to the deep again, those on board have spoken through each end of the cable. A telegram always comes to this effect, “We are about to make the final splice.” Within a few hours of that time we have reason to expect that the whole line will be. in working order, and when we think the time has arrived we send our messages through.’