320 SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING AND REPAIRING. 



that the piece put in in this repair has a heavier conductor, of 

 about 2 ohms less resistance per naut than the original cable. 

 This shows the necessity of keeping records of the C.R. of each 

 length for reference in future repairs. For each cable a splice 

 chart is kept posted up in details of all lengths pub in on 

 repairs, as well as of the original cable. A specimen chart is 

 shown herewith. All vertical lines except the first and last 

 represent splices, some between diflferent types in the original 

 cable and others put in on repairs. 



Repairs on this cable have been chiefly towards the VM end, 

 types D^, B and B^ having been laid in. The differences of 

 the C.R. per naut on various lengths will be noticed. The 

 details in the third and fourth horizontal lines give the various 

 types of cable and their respective lengths as they exist in 

 the cable to date, and these lengths are summed up in both 

 directions in the first two lines of figures. 



Regulations Affecting Cable Ships at Sea. — Cable ships 

 engaged in picking up or paying out cable cannot get out 

 of the way of other vessels that may be approaching them, 

 and therefore, in order to prevent collisions, the Admiralty, in 

 conjunction with the Board of Trade, drew np some special 

 rules to be observed by British cable ships when so engaged. 

 These rules were included in the " Regulations for Preventing 

 Collisions at Sea," issued in pursuance of the Merchant 

 Shipping Act Amendment Act of 1862, and were confirmed by 

 an Order in Council of August 11, 1884. In framing these 

 rules it was recognised at the outset that a cable ship engaged 

 in laying or picking up cable at sea was in the same condition 

 as a disabled steamer, inasmuch as she could not get out of 

 the way of other ships in her neighbourhood, and that, there- 

 fore, she should fly signals of a similar character. A disabled 

 steamer is required to carry by night three red lights on the 

 foremast head in place of the usual white light, and by day 

 three black balls or shapes, all in a vertical line, If, however, 

 the signals carried by a cable ship were exactly like those of a 

 disabled steamer, passing vessels would bear down upon her to 

 render assistance, and therefore some distinguishing signal was 

 necessary. This was effected as regards night signals by 

 making the centre light of the three a white light, and by day 



