THE CABLE SHIP ON BEPAIES. 



227 



the weight of the buoy, turns over on the pivot and allows the 

 buoy to fall into the water. This done, the manilla is cut 

 adrift, and immediately the small rope supports holding up the 

 chain and rope to ship's side are torn away by the strain, and 

 the buoy, with the cable anchored below, floats free of the ship. 

 It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 132 that the swinging of 

 the buoy as affected by tides or currents only causes a pull on 

 the anchor, the stray chain preventing any strain on the cable. 

 In heavy weather there is danger of the cable parting or slipping 



Fig. 133. 



through Stoppers as the ship's bows rise and fall in the sea-way 

 and the time for testing and buoying is cut as short as possible. 



The above method of first sinking the cable when buoying 

 sometimes gives trouble on account of the slack at the bottom 

 getting into coils. When this happens the cable is liable to come 

 up kinked when hauling in. 



When conditions exist likely to favour such coiling, as, for 

 instance, an excess of slack, the cable is buoyed on the surface. 

 That is, the end is attached near to the buoy and the cable sus- 

 pended from it instead of being lowered first so as to rest on the 



q2 



