THE CABLE SHIP ON REPAIRS. 357 



they are made fast to the thwarts. The overhung part is 

 planked over for standing on while getting cable on or off the 

 fiheave. The same preparations are made aft, so that cable can 

 lead over from the forward to the aft sheave with a clear way 

 between the boats. 



Cable is meanwhile hooked and buoyed to a cask by another 

 of ship's boats and when ready the boat-raft proceeds to the 

 buoy and raises cable aboard. By means of lines round the 

 •cable the bight is hauled in over the side and got in position 

 over the fore and aft sheaves. The cable is then underrun 

 until the break or damaged part comes in. If no steam-launch 

 is available to propel the raft, the cable is hauled in hand-over- 

 hand. If cable is heavy and at all buried a crew of at least 



Fig. 208. — Trench Work for Laying in Xew Length from Beach to 

 Cable-house. 



•eight men to each boat will be necessary. The electrician is, of 

 course, aboard with testing instruments, battery, &c., and if it 

 is not a plain break, a cut-in is made for testing. The distance 

 of the fault having been determined and, if necessary, shore 

 spoken to, the ends are jointed and spliced up and under- 

 running is continued until the fault or break comes in. 



lostead of grappling and raising cable from the boats, it is 

 sometimes practicable to underrun from the ship's position, if 

 not [too far out, in which case the ship lifts the bight. Or if 

 the break is near shore the cable is lifted at the beach and 

 underrun. 



The illustrations (Figs. 208 and 209) are of a shore-end re- 

 pair where cable was renewed from a little distance out up to 



