194 



SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING AND REPAIRING. 



which is provided with removable cast-steel prongs of the kind 

 shown in Fig. 102. By taking the shackle off one end, the 

 broken prongs may be slipped off" and renewed. To prevent 

 breakage of prongs on rocky bottoms the protected-prong type 

 was introduced. The Button umbrella grapnel (Fig. 103) is 

 one of this type which has done good service. In this grapnel 

 the sheet-steel umbrella or guard protects the prongs against 

 breakage by rocks, and the opening between the prongs 



Fig. 102. — Sliding- Prong Centipede Grapnel. 



and the lower edge of the guard is only a little larger than 

 required for the cable to enter. There are also retaining 

 springs from the guard to the prongs. A design by Sir 

 Henry C. Mance having the same object is shown in Fig. 104. 

 The guard is in the form of wrought-iron arms projecting 

 from the top of the shank to such a distance above the prongs 

 as will allow the cable to be caught. The arms guide the 

 grapnel when jumping over uneven ground and lessen the 



Fig. 103. — Umbrella Grapnel. 



liability of the flukes fouling rocks and breaking off". The 

 first form of this kind was used in the " Great Eastern" when 

 grappling for the lost end of the '65 Atlantic cable. This was 

 made by lashing five bent-steel springs, about Ijin. wide by 

 ■j-^^in. thick, to the stem of the grapnel, as shown (Fig. 105). 

 it will be remembered that the " Great Eastern," commanded 

 by the late Sir James Anderson, laid the '65 Atlantic 

 cable from Ireland towards J^ewfouniland, and that when 



