THE LAYING OF SUBMARINE CABLES. 133 



of ship. A steam engine is also fitted, capable of being put in 

 gear with the drum when required — as, for instance, to haul 

 back cable inboard when a kink or fault has been payed out, or 

 to haul up cable from tank at starting. 



The position occupied by the above-described apparatus 

 is shown in Fig. 64, from a photograph of the quarter-deck of 

 the cable ship " Dacia," belonging to the Sllvertown Company. 

 On the right in the front are seen the curved blocks of the 

 friction table, further illustrated in detail in Fig. 65 ; also the 

 large paying-out drum and brake with working platform and 

 double-cylinder steam engine for hauling-in when required. 

 Further aft is the dynamometer, stern sheave and sounding 

 machine. This ship was first fitted out for cable work in 1869 

 by Sir Charles Bright, and since that date has laid a great 

 many cables and carried out some very difficult and notable 

 repairs in deep water. An interesting Paper on " An Account 

 of the Operations connected with the Laying of the new 

 Marseilles-Algiers Cable," by Mr. E. March "Webb, read before 

 the Society of Telegraph Engineers on December 10th, 1879, 

 contains, amongst other valuable information, a description of 

 this vessel and her machinery. 



The friction table (or holding-back gear) and brake on paying- 

 out machines are shown in detail in Figs. 65 and 66 from 

 drawings kindly supplied by the Silvertown Company. The 

 cast-iron blocks on the friction table are arranged alternately, 

 as seen in the illustration, so as to make the cable pass in 

 a wavy line between them. The blocks present smooth semi- 

 circular faces towards the cable, and can all be adjusted in the 

 first instance as regards their position by the set screws and 

 slots. Further adjustment of the gripping power is made 

 while the cable is in motion by the hand-wheels and 

 screws on the side marked A, those on the side B remaining 

 fixed. It will be seen that by this means a very easily- 

 controlled and powerful grip can be put on the cable when 

 required, and in the ordinary way the cable is kept nice and 

 taut on the drum by this holding-back appliance. The surface 

 of the table is inclined, in order to lead the cable up to the 

 level of the top of drum, on to which it passes immediately 

 after leaving the gear. 



This very useful gear was designed by Mr. Matthew Gray 



