ROUTE SELECTION AXD CABLE LAYIXG 299 



indicated that faults clear of the continental shelf were few and far be- 

 tween throughout its long life. 



The latest British Admiralty charts and bathymetric charts of the 

 U. S. Hydrographic Office for the North Atlantic Ocean were scrutinized 

 and from these and a study of all other relevant data, two routes were 

 plotted which appeared to fulfill the necessary requirements so far as 

 possible. However, it was agreed that if possible the selected routes 

 should be surveyed so that minor adjustments could be made if desirable. 



Landing Sites 



East End — It was now necessary to find suitable landing sites having 

 regard for the decision that the telephone cables should be routed north 

 of all other existing cables. 



On the British side it was necessary to look north of Ireland. 



The North Channel, the northern entrance to the Irish Sea, divides 

 northern Ireland from Scotland and had this channel been suitable, the 

 telephone cables might have been run through it to a terminal station 

 on the southwest coast of Scotland in the vicinity of Cairn R\'an. How- 

 ever, the tidal streams through the channel are strong, at least 4 to 5 

 knots at spring tides; the bottom is rocky and uneven, with overfalls, 

 and any cable laid through it would have a very short life indeed. 



It was therefore necessary to search farther north. The west coast of 

 Scotland presents a practically continuous series of deep indentations 

 and bald, rocky cliffs and headlands. The chain of the Hebrides Islands 

 stretches almost uninterruptedly parallel with and at short distances 

 from the coast. It was obviously most desirable to land the cable on the 

 Scottish mainland, and close to rail and road communication if at all 

 possible. 



From previous cable maintenance experience it was known that Firth 

 of Lome which separates the island of Mull from the mainland was a 

 quiet channel, little used by shipping or frequented bj^ trawlers and 

 with tidal streams which were not strong. Earlier passages of Post Office 

 cable ships through the Firth had yielded a series of echo sounding 

 surveys which indicated that except for a distance of about 5 or 6 miles 

 in the vicinity of the Isles of the Sea, the bottom was fairly regular. 

 Several small bays on the mainland side of the Firth just south of Oban 

 appeared from seaward to be very suitable landing sites and this was 

 confirmed by a survey party, which selected a small bay localh' named 

 Port Lathaich for the cable landing and site of the station. 



The fore .shore was mainly firm sand with outcroppings of rock which 

 could be avoided easily when landing the cables. The seaward approach 



