CHAPTER III. 



THE LAYING OF SUBMARmE CABLES. 



The order in which cable is shipped is a matter of 

 great importance, especially when there are two or three 

 cables to lay in one expedition. The whole thing has to be 

 worked oat backwards; in fact, it may be said that the cable 

 must be laid mentally before it is shipped. The idea, of course, 

 is that the ship proceeds to a given point to commence opera- 

 tions, and that she finishes at another given point, the whole 

 of her movements and procedure in laying the cables having 

 been foreseen and arranged, so that in following this course as 

 she pays out, the right sections of cable will come uppermost 

 in the tanks in their proper order. This cannot always be 

 completely arranged on account of due regard being had to the 

 distribution of weight in the ship. 



Each complete cable between two places is made up w^ith 

 lengths of shore-end, intermediate and deep-sea types of cable 

 according to the existing depths of water. The heaviest of all 

 is the shore-end type, used for the locality of anchorages. 

 Those portions of harbours in which ships regularly cast anchor 

 are, of course, rigorously avoided where possible in laying. 

 The usual practice is to select a suitable landing place, clear of 

 rocks, and situated a few miles away from the anchorage 

 ground of the port. But where the cable must be landed close 

 to a harbour, a circuitous route is chosen for it until it is out 



