24 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [22] 



cause, the pulley flies up, putting a strain on the friction rope which 

 stops the reel at once. It acts also as a check in paying out, the fric- 

 tion being governed by the weight suspended on the guide pulley. The 

 reel is kept an a tank of oil when not in use, to preserve the wire. By a 

 most ingenious arrangement, for which we are indebted to Mr. Tippet, 

 draughtsman at the ordnance department, Washington navy-yard, the 

 reel is unshipped by simply unscrewing one nut, shown in Plate XIII, 

 on the left crank, with a chain attached to prevent its loss by falling 

 overboard. The nut being unscrewed releases the shaft, which is drawn 

 out leaving the ratchet, worm-wheel, and left crank in position. 



With the use of the tackle one man can easily ship and unship the 

 reel. 



The comparative sizes of the ordinary deep-sea lead-line, hand-line 

 and sounding- wire are shown in Plate XIII. 



Plate XIV shows the machine in position for heaving in. 



Plate XV shows the machine in poition for sounding with the Bass- 

 net atmospheric lead, used for navigational purposes, when the vessel 

 is steaming ahead at her usual speed. 



When the machine is in place it turns freely, the guide-pulley taking 

 the direction of the wire if, from any cause, it trends out of the perpen- 

 dicular. A set-screw is provided in the rail bearing for clamjjing the 

 apparatus to steady it while heaving in. Total weight of the machine, 

 128 pounds. 



PIANO-FORTE WIRE USED FOR SOUNDING. 



The steel wire used for sounding and serial temi^eratures was pur- 

 chased of the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company, Worcester, 

 Mass. It is called No. 11, music, by the makers ; is 0.028 of an inch in 

 diameter, tensile strength about 200 pounds, weight .0145 of a pound 

 to the fathom, or 14.5 pounds to the nautical mile. 



The method of splicing is simj^le and effective. The ends of the wire, 

 for about 2 feet, are thoroughly cleaned, and laid together with about 

 eight turns ; the ends and two or three intermediate jjoints are wound 

 with a few turns of very fine wire, and covered with solder, which is 

 smoothed with a knife or piece of sand-paper. As this form of splice is 

 smooth, flexible, and reliable, we have tried no other. 



Slack-laid cod-line is used for stray line, and is applied to the wire 

 in the following manner : The end of the wire is stuck twice against 

 the lay, about six inches from the end of the line, then passed with the 

 lay for six inches, the end stuck twice against the lay and served over 

 Avith seaming twine. The wire is then passed with the lay to the end 

 of the line, the strands trimmed down and served over with twine; a 

 seizing is also put on over the wire first stuck against the lay. This 

 makes a smooth and secure splice, which passes readily over the guide- 

 pulley without dan,i;er of catching under the guard. 



