174 SUBilAEINE CABLE LAYING AND EEPAIRING. 



of thorough protection from the action of the air. Either 

 india-rubber core in iron pipes or gutta-percha core in pipea 

 filled with water can be thoroughly relied upon, but if pipes 

 are not put in on account of expense, he recommends that cores 

 should be brass-taped and the cables sheathed with lead. 



In one case which came under the Author's notice a land-line 

 had been laid in a concrete conduit run in solid with bitumen 

 and was so attacked by white ants as to be useless in two years' 

 time. Some openings must have existed in the concrete or 

 joints in the conduit through which it was possible for the ants 

 to enter, and once past this the rest of the work to complete 

 the destruction of the cable was easy. This was replaced by a 

 line having the core brass-taped and an outer sheath of two 

 lappings of sheet steel laid direct in the ground, and this has 

 remained good and is evidently quite ant-proof. 



Cable-houses if pretty close to town scarcely need habitable 

 accommodation, as it is an easy matter to arrange that the staff 

 take a relay of watches there with quarters in town when night 

 work is required. Also when the distance is short it may be 

 presumed that the land-lines, or at least one of them, is in 

 good condition, as it is not a difficult matter to maintain short 

 lines in excellent repair, and the duties of day and night 

 watching can then be arranged at the office. Should the 

 ship require anything done at the cable-house, it is then only 

 a matter of a few minutes to go there. But if the cable- 

 house is say fr/e or six miles from the towu, it is best to 

 take up quarters there when the ship is out repairing. In the 

 old days cable-house work was more frequent, not only for 

 ship duty, but on account of land lines failing, the traffic then 

 being received at the cable house on the mirror and sent on 

 to the office by Morse. 



When arrangements are made for the staff lodging at the 

 cable-house for some time three rooms are generally provided, 

 one for the instruments, one sleeping room for the staff, and 

 one for the native servants or " boys," the place being of some- 

 what more roomy dimensions than when arranged only as a 

 housing for the cable ends and for occasional tests. 



The cable-houses of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Com- 

 pany at Singapore are arranged in this way, and one of 

 them (ttat of Tanjong Katong) is illustrated in Fig. 87 from. 



