THE LAYING OP SUBMARINE CABLES. 117 



Usually about 1,000 miles can be transferred from fac- 

 tory to ship in 15 working days without working at night, 

 and including stoppages for splicing. The coiling in tank 

 is carried out as shown in the illustration (Fig. 55), which 

 is a reproduction of an old and interesting print from 

 the Illustrated London Neios, representing the coiling on board 

 the " Great Eastern " of the '65 Atlantic cable^ A number of 

 men take positions round the tank, and as the cable passes 

 them, guided by one man running round, place it close to the 

 previous turn. The coiling is started round the sides of the 

 tank, and continued inwards towards the centre, and when one 

 layer or flake is completed up to the cone, the end is taken 

 across to the side of the tank again, and another flake started 

 and coiled inwards. To prevent the whole weight of the upper 

 flakes bearing on che connecting portions that run across, 

 tapered strips of wood are laid parallel to them on either side. 

 This is known as the " feather-edge " in coiling. - 



A considerable number of the necessary splices between 

 different sections and types are made at the factory during 

 shipment, but these, of course, are only made between sections 

 that will be paid out together, other splices being left for the 

 ship to make when laying. It is usual to whitewash the cable 

 all over as a precaution against the turns in tank sticking 

 together. 



It is not to ba imagined that the whole of the tanks on board 

 are ever completely filled with cable. Ships with four tanks 

 could, as far as the amount of cable carried at one time is con- 

 cerned, generally dispense with two ; but the stowage of cable 

 has to be regulated with regard to the trimming of the ship, and 

 hence the total dead weight of cable is divided fairly evenly 

 between the various tanks. While cable is being coiled on 

 board ship from the manufactory or from reserve tanks on shore, 

 the draught of water at the bows and stern is carefully watched, 

 with the view of keeping the vessel in good trim. If too much 

 is put into the aft tanks, and she is down by the stern, it will 

 not be easy to keep the vessel on her course under a beam wind 

 or tide, the fore part of the ship beiug light. Any want of trim 

 in coiling is afterwards corrected by filling the necessary water- 

 ballast tanks. The cable tanks are usually not more than one- 

 half or two-thirds full, the capacity of some ships being such 



