The Influence of Submarine Cables 



II 



The special fitting out of the Adria 

 with cable appliances, as well as spare 

 cable, the work of the St. Louis in cut- 

 ting cables, the operations of the Marble- 

 head, Nashville, and Windom at Cien- 

 fuegos, and of the Mangrove, are too well 

 known to be repeated here. It will be 

 more valuable to endeavor to draw the 

 correct conclusion from these operations, 

 and thereby make proper provision for the 

 execution of similar operations in time 

 of war. 



It appears that the searching for deep- 

 sea cables in the high seas in time of war, 

 without an accurate chart of the location 

 of the cable, is a difficult and very doubt- 

 ful operation ; also that submarine cables 

 must in general be interrupted near their 

 landing places, where their exact location 

 can be determined with certainty. From 

 the experience of the Spanish-American 

 War, operations of this kind are extreme- 

 ly dangerous, as the cable landing will be 

 protected and defended by the enemy. 



Supply of spare cable and suitable in- 

 struments for working the same must be 

 available with every naval fleet — in order 

 to supply the necessary communications 

 with the shore, in case of the landing of 

 either a cooperating army, or of tempo- 

 rary forces from the ships. Cable-ships 

 engaged in either laying, cutting, or re- 

 pairing cable near the shore, must either 

 be provided with their own means of de- 

 fence, or else convoyed by war-ships. 



These facts make it clear that a new 

 type of naval ship is to make its appear- 

 ance as a necessary adjunct to every naval 

 fleet. Just as the naval repair-ship, such 

 as the Vulcan, has been found useful and 

 necessary, so will the new cable cruiser 

 be an essential part of the navy of the 

 near future. It is not intended here to 

 enter into the question of the proper de- 

 sign of such ships, but it would seem 

 that a specially designed cable-ship, with 

 comparatively large coal capacity and 

 high speed, and an armament of the 

 lighter cruiser class, making her capable 

 of defending herself and protecting her 



small-boat parties, would be best adapted 

 for the purpose. She must carry a mod- 

 erate supply of spare cable and machin- 

 ery for laying and picking up cable, as 

 well as instruments for testing and op- 

 erating a cable, and the necessary buoys, 

 suitable, if necessary, for buoying the 

 cable, and operating the ship as a floating 

 cable station. It is unnecessary to state, 

 also, that her personnel must be specially 

 trained in the highly technical duties re- 

 quired, and from actual practice in all the 

 operations necessary, be made ready for 

 the performance of their duties efficiently 

 under the conditions of war. 



Although these naval cable cruisers in 

 time of peace could be profitably em- 

 ployed in maintaining and repairing both 

 cables belonging exclusively to the gov- 

 ernment, and those subsidized by the gov- 

 ernment, under suitable arrangements, 

 yet, at the outbreak of war they should be 

 absolutely and exclusively under the con- 

 trol of the government. It may be said 

 at present that no modern fleet is com- 

 plete without a cable-ship, especially 

 adapted for cable operations in time of 

 war. 



Since submarine cables are so impor- 

 tant a factor in national defence, they 

 should be protected both at their shore 

 landings and on the high seas by military 

 and naval force. 



In this connection it would seem advis- 

 able in case of government cables, or of 

 cables subsidized by the government, to 

 keep the exact route of important cables 

 a secret, and prevent the publication of 

 maps for general distribution, showing 

 their exact location in the deep sea. The 

 location of the shore ends, however, is 

 certain to be known. 



A cable landing, for the future, should 

 partake of the character of a fort, and be 

 provided with adequate means for pre- 

 venting an enemy from locating and de- 

 stroying the cable within the marine 

 league, or, until it has reached deep 

 sea, where its accurate location is not 

 known. 



