heavier power and coiranunication cables were mounted to brackets on the 

 barge. The service barge was maneuvered into a position just below the 

 surface support center site, lines passed down the 100-foot high cliff 

 face and attached to the terminal end of the power umbilical. Hand 

 winches were used to haul the cable up to the support site where it was 

 secured to holdfasts and connected to appropriate terminal boards on the 

 utilities trailer. A polypropeline line connected between the service 

 barge and the base of the habitat some 700 feet away was taken up, allow- 

 ing the power umbilical to unreel and lay along a designated path along 

 the bottom. The same procedure was used with the communication umbilical 

 except that terminal pairs were connected to communication's terminal 

 boards in the command van. The habitat ends of both umbilicals were 

 waterproofed and lowered to the bottom. After opening the habitat, the 

 cables were fed through a benthic tube in the wet room bilge and connect- 

 ed to appropriate terminal boards and instrumentation. The laying and 

 hookup of the fresh water, purge gas, and gas return lines was 

 accomplished in much the same manner using small boats and swimmers. 



DECOMPRESSION BARGE ASSEMBLY 



While these activities were taking place, the decompression barge was 

 being assembled on St. Thomas. The barge had arrived from Houston, Texas, 

 unassembled on two Air National Guard aircraft. The components were un- 

 loaded and trucked to a waterfront site a few miles from the airport for 

 assembly. After the barge assembly was completed and the barge afloat, 

 the decompression systems described in the facilities section was lifted 

 aboard by crane. At this time it was discovered that the main strength 

 members connecting the two pontoons were insufficient to support the 

 weight of the chamber system by a factor of almost 50%. Larger steel 

 beams were obtained from a local contractor and welded together to form a 

 support base adequate to support the decompression system. This major 

 problem was resolved on March 28 by working a small crew almost round the 

 clock for three days only to discover that the decompression console, a 

 critical component of the system that had been scheduled to arrive on the 

 28th would not arrive until the 31st of March, one day before the 

 scheduled mission start. A very brief consultation between the principal 

 management personnel resulted in a decision to postpone the mission start. 

 The Program Manager assumed the responsibility of issuing a press announce- 

 ment and informing certain dignitaries who had arrived for the dedication 

 ceremony, among them the then Secretary of the Interior, Walter J. Hickel, 

 of the delay. 



On March 31, the decompression console arrived from Houston, Texas, and 

 installation and hookup was started on April 1, while the dedication 

 ceremony was taking place at Lameshur Bay. The decompression complex 

 when completed on April 4 was towed over to Lameshur Bay and moored in its 

 designated site. Final installation and familiarization proceeded through 

 the remainder of that day and into the following day before a low pressure 

 leak was discovered in the mating made between the PTC and DDC. This 

 problem was remedied early in the morning on April 4, allowing the 



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