THE CABLE SHIP ON REPAIRS. 299 



minutes, flying round even when the drum was brought up 

 dead. He attributed it to the fact that the cable was only 

 taken three times round the drum, and that being of so large 

 a type, there should, at least, have been five turns to afford 

 sufficient gripping surface. On another occasion the engineer 

 in charge managed to throw in the clutch of the train of gear 

 in time to avert a seriously rapid uncoiling of cable from tank, 

 due to the fracture of a brake band. With the improvements 

 now made, as described earlier in this chapter, accidents of this 

 nature are not liable to occur. Bat, as a precaution, in the 

 tanks life-lines are hung from eye-bolts, fixed in the angle iron 

 round top of tank at short distances, by means of which the 

 men at work inside can make good their escape in case of the 

 cable taking charge. An experienced man is placed in full 

 view of the tank whose duty it is to watch every yard of cable 

 as it rises and, should a loop or foul flake occur, his sharp and 

 loud whistle is passed on to the bridge and the telegraph bell 

 instantly sounds with the order to engine room "Fall speed 

 astern." 



Messrs. Johnson & Phillips fitted on the " Patrol " and 

 " Restorer " their patent hydraulic brake for paying out aft. 

 In this gear the drum is internally geared and drives four 

 cranks which give reciprocating motion to four plunger rods 

 working in open-ended cylinders. Each rod carries two plungers 

 which are arranged to work one above and one below a trans- 

 verse diaphragm in these cylinders. The diaphragm has ports, 

 and is in two parts, the space between them being occupied by 

 an adjustable grid having a similar set of ports. This grid has 

 a few teeth on one part of its periphery into which gears a worm 

 shaft. 



The cylinders being filled with water, ths reciprocating action 

 of the plungers forces the grid from one side of the diaphragm 

 to the other alternately, the breaking effect being regulated by 

 the amount of the opening of the ports. No attempt is made 

 to have the plungers or glands absolutely water-tight, as this 

 is quite unnecessary, the replace water which makes up the 

 leakage serving as a cooling medium. This replace water is 

 supplied from one of the ship's pumps, each cylinder having 

 two inlets, one above and one below the transverse diaphragm, 

 each provided with back-pressure valves. 



