THE LAYING OF SUBMARINE CABLES. 151 



the position of least strain. Further, by means of a chain 

 attached to the framework at the lower extremity of the 

 sheave on either side, the latter can be set up to any 

 angle with the ship, and secured in that position if required. 

 Both bow and stern sheaves are of precisely similar con- 

 struction, the platform being right over the respective 

 wheels, and built out a considerable distance from the ship. 

 This vessel has seen good service in repairs to cables in the 

 deep waters of the Atlantic. One specially smart piece of work 

 was the repair of the Direct United States cable in a depth of 

 2,680 fathoms, when the whole operation took no more than 

 48 hours. 



Turning now to the arrangements for paying out cable, it 

 will be remarked that the vessel, as illustrated (Fig. 69), has 

 a guard or crinoline fitted round her stern. The object of this 

 was to prevent cable fouling the propellers, but after consider- 

 able experience it was found that the inconvenience of the 

 crinoline was greater than its advantages, and it was very soon 

 removed. The paying-out drum is of special design, with ample 

 brake power for laying cables in very deep water ; and wire 

 paying-out gear for registering the actual slack at each instant 

 is also fitted in connection with it. 



The " Faraday " has, besides numerous repairing expeditions, 

 laid about 32,000 miles of cables. The transatlantic cables 

 laid by her are mapped out in Fig. 73, her first expedition after 

 launching being to lay the Direct United States cable in 1874 

 to '75, connecting Ireland (Ballinskellig) with the United States 

 at Rye Beach, calling in at Tor Bay (Nova Scotia) — 3,101 nauts. 

 In 1879 she laid the cable for the Compagnle Fran9aise du 

 Telegraphe de Paris a New York, from France (Brest) to Boston 

 (Cape Cod), calling in at St. Pierre (Newfoundland) — 3,069 

 nauts. In 1881 to '82 she laid two cables for the Western 

 Union Telegraph Company from Cornwall to Canso (Nova 

 Scotia) — 5,107 nauts, and completed these cables to New York 

 in the year 1889 (1,577 nauts). In the year 1884 she laid the 

 two cables of the Commercial Cable Company from Ireland to 

 New York and Ireland to Rockport, both cables touching at 

 Canso, and it is remarkable that this large amount of cable 

 (6,098 nauts) was manufactured and laid within one year from 

 the date ot order. In 1894 she laid the third Commercial cable 



