126 



SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING AND REPAIRING. 



following manner. The ship having anchored as 

 far in as possible, the end of sounding line (from 

 the machine fixed at ship's stern) is taken by boat 

 or steam launch to shore. The exact distance 

 from ship to shore is then read off the register 

 of the sounding machine and the wire heaved in 

 again. The lighter is then brought alongside 

 the ship and a length of shore-end coiled in her 

 corresponding to the above-measured distance 

 plus the length of trench to cable house, and a 

 few fathoms extra. She is then towed shore- 

 wards by steam launch, paying out cable on the 

 way (Fig. 59). The cable thus remains intact 

 between lighter and ship's tank, and is not cut 

 for the purpose of landing. When as close as 

 possible near shore the lighter anchors and the 

 end is hauled ashore. The thin steel sounding 

 wire is not usually noticed by spectators, who 

 show great astonishment when they find the end 

 hauled in just reaches to the cable house. After 

 this operation is done and the end tested the 

 ship proceeds paying out cable seawards. 



The method adopted by the Silvertown Com- 

 pany, illustrated in Fig. 60, is exceedingly 

 useful in rough weather, with a difficult surf to 

 negotiate, or in localities where no lighter, tug 

 or other facilities can be obtained. By this 

 method the shore-end is landed direct from the 

 ship, and is always in connection with it, thus 

 saving the intermediate operation of buoying 

 or subsequently connecting. A line made fast 

 to cable on board is taken ashore from ship's 

 stern, passed through two sheaves fixed on the 

 beach and back to ship's forward picking-up 

 gear. The engines of both forward and aft gear 

 are then set to work, the aft gear heaving up 

 cable from tank and paying it out over stern 

 sheave, and the forward gear hauling in on the 

 line, and so drawing cable ashore. As the cable 

 leaves the ship light balloon buoys are made fast to 



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Mi; J.; 



