164 THEORY OF CABLE -LAYING. 



I had originally intended to abstain from interfering 

 in the mechanical part of the proceedings, but it 

 appeared to me so utterly impossible to lay a heavy 

 cable, having a weight in water of at least 4 Ibs. per 

 yard, at a depth of more than 1500 fathoms (as was 

 the case between Sardinia and Bona), in the manner 

 intended by Messrs. Newall & Liddell, that I spoke 

 very earnestly against the proposal. On the other 

 hand I could not share the fears of M. Delamarche, 

 and there ensued a warm discussion between Mr. Lid- 

 dell, M. Delamarche, and myself, in which I expounded 

 the theory, which was subsequently universally adopted. 

 It consists in holding back the cable by brake-apparatus 

 with a force which corresponds to the weight of a 

 piece of cable in water reaching perpendicularly to 

 the bottom. With a uniform motion of the ship the 

 cable then sinks in a straight line, the inclination of 



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which depends on the ship's speed and the velocity 

 of subsidence of a horizontal piece of cable in the 

 water. If the sinking portion of the cable is not per- 

 fectly balanced by the force of the brake, a sliding 

 down of the cable takes place at the same time on 

 the inclined plane which it itself forms ; it is therefore 

 possible to regulate by the brake the extra amount 

 of cable that is required to lay the cable without strain 

 over the unevenness of the bottom. 



This simple theory met with the universal approval 

 of the company. Mr. Newall too came over at last 

 to my view, and requested me to assist him in the 

 preparations for laying the cable in accordance with 



