282 



SUB3I.\RINE CABLE LAYING AND EEPAIRING. 



iron wire is bound round at intervals to keep the wires in 

 place. Tlie splice is also tapered off by cutting away the ends 

 of the wires at different lengths, and the whole is then served 

 over with tarred yarn by means of serving mallets. This gives 

 the splice a neat finish, and further increases the adhesion 

 between the sheathlngs. The sketch represents, first, the wires 

 opened out ready to make the splice ; second, the overlap as 

 finished, with wire serving at intervals ; and third, the finished 

 splice, yarn served. 



Splices are usually from 6 to 10 fathoms in length, the 

 shorter splices being for types used in shallow water, and there- 



FiG. 166.— Serving Mallet. 



fore not exposed to much strain. It is found in some types 

 that when the wires are of iron they can be laid quite as firmly 

 and well by hand without the aid of the splicing tool, and this 

 is often done ; but in types having sheathing wires of stiff 

 springy steel, the work is much facilitated by the tool. 



The overlapping splice just described is most often made 

 when the two ends of cable are of diffarent types, or, though 

 of the same type, when they differ in lay. 



The wires on the left are not picked out iu alternate pairs to 

 leave spaces in which to lay the right wires. While the method 



