314 SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING AND REPAIRING. 



still lowered by the ropes over the sheaves until it reaches the 

 surface of the water. The men stationed at A A then cease to 

 slacken out, and make fast, while a block of wood is placed 

 at the bows under the two ropes, which are then cut through 

 simultaneously with a sharp axe, the ends flying overboard, and 

 the cable sinking to its resting place on the ocean bed. 



Repair Sheets and Splice Chart. — Particulars of all repairs 

 are recorded on a sheet, in diagram form, each repair being set 

 out separately, giving full information of types and lengths 

 picked up and payed out and splices made. Two specimen 

 repair sheets are given, No. 1 being a shallow water repair near 

 the coast, and No. 2 a repair in 500 to 1,000 fathoms. Various 

 abbreviations are used in these sheets such as : F.S. (final 

 splice), H.C. (hooked cable), S.T. (sea temperature), P,U. 

 (picked up), P.O. (Payed out), fms. (fathoms), C.R. (copper 

 resistance), abs. (absolute), b/t (brass taped). 



The diagrams, giving a resume of operations during repairs, 

 will be easily understood. Sheet No. 1 gives particulars of the 

 repair of a break between AZ and BX. Cable was hooked on 

 September 19bh, and underrun to a splice near by. Cable was 

 cut at this splice and tested, and the break found to be further 

 on towards BX. The end towards AZ was, therefore, buoyed, 

 and cable picked up towards BX. After picking up 1*518 nauts 

 the broken end came inboard. Ship then proceeded 1^ miles 

 further on, lowered grapnel, and hooked cable at 1 p.m. on the 

 day following the first cut in. The BX end was found good 

 and buoyed. Then cable was picked up towards the break 

 which came inboard after 1*472 nauts had been hauled in. 

 Thus the whole length picked up was 1 -518 + 1 *472 = 2*990 nauts, 

 all of type E. Ship then proceeded to pick up the buoy on 

 the BX end, splice on and pay out. Before doing so, bearings 

 were taken with the land so as to locate the spot where the splice 

 would be sunk. Also a sounding showing depth 10 fathoms, 

 and the bottom temperature 67*5°F. Before making the splice 

 tests from ship towards BX gave C,R. 119*8 ohms, and insula- 

 tion 79 megs, absolute (that is, for the whole length tested) 

 after one minute's electrification. The length just picked up 

 was then spliced on and cable payed out towards the first buoy. 

 After 1*467 nauts payed out a second length of type E was 



