LA YING DEEP-SEA CABLES. 433 



weight of the length of it between the ship and 

 the bottom. 



The best electric testing that has been practised 

 or even planned cannot show within a mile the 

 position of a fault consisting of a slight loss of 

 insulation, unless both ends of the cable are at hand. 

 Whatever its character may be, unless the electric 

 tests demonstrate its position to be remote from 

 the outgoing part, the only thing that can be done 

 to find whether it is just on board or just overboard, 

 is to cut the cable as near the outgoing part as the 

 mechanical circumstances allow to be safely done. 

 The electric test immediately transferred to the 

 fresh-cut seaward end shows instantly if the line is 

 perfect between it and the shore. A few minutes 

 more, and the electric tests applied to the two ends 

 of the remainder on board, will, in skilful hands, 

 with a proper plan of working, show very closely 

 the position of the fault whatever its character may 

 be. The engineers will thus immediately be able 

 to make proper arrangements for resplicing and 

 paying out good cable, and for cutting out the fault 

 from the bad part. 



VOL. in. F F 



