588 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [76] 



stray line was usually made 10 or 12 fathoms long, and from any small 

 stuff less than one-quarter of an inch in diameter. 



The operation of making the above splices is clearly illustrated on 

 Plate 41 of Sigsbee's "Deep-Sea Sounding and Dredging." 



Splices in Sounding Wire. Samples showing the method of splicing the 

 sounding wire together and to the stray line, as employed on the 

 steamers Fish Hawk and Albatross. 



United States Fish Commission. 



The method first adopted by the United States Fish Commission is as 

 follows : " The ends of the wire for about 2 feet are thoroughly cleaned 

 and laid together with about eight turns. The ends and one, two, or 

 three intermediate points are then wound with a few turns of very fine 

 wire and covered with solder, which is carried along the entire length 

 of the splice and smoothed with a knife or piece of sand-paper. This 

 form of splice is smooth, flexible, and reliable. The stray line, consist- 

 ing of a piece of slack laid cod-line, is applied to the wire in the follow- 

 ing manner : The end of the wire is stuck twice against the lay, about 

 6 inches from the end of the line, then passed with the lay for 6 inches, 

 the end stuck twice against the lay and served over with seaming twine. 

 The wire is then passed with the lay to the end of the line, the strands 

 trimmed down and served over with twine; a seizing is also put on over 

 the wire first stuck against the lay. This makes a smooth and secure 

 splice, which passes readily over the guide pulley without danger of 

 catching under the guard." 



During the summer of 1882, a simpler form of splicing the wire was 

 introduced as follows : The two ends are overlapped for about 2 feet 

 and twisted together with about four turns. These portions are 

 thoroughly cleaned by means of emery paper and a weak solution of 

 muriatic acid, tinned their entire length, and pointed at the tips. The 

 two tips are then closely wrapped to the adjacent wire for a length of 

 about three-fourths of an inch, with the finest steel or iron wire, and 

 the entire splice covered with solder which is smoothed down with a 

 piece of cloth or emery paper. 



Quite recently Lieut. S. H. May, United States Navy, of the steamer 

 Albatross, has devised another and still more simple splice, which seems 

 to answer every requirement. The ends of the wire to be spliced are 

 heated for a distance of about an inch and a half in the flame of aspirit 

 lamp or candle until they become of a cherry red, and the tips filed 

 down to sharp points. The ends are then lapped a distance of about 4 

 inches, and wrapped about one another with about three or four turns, 

 after which the splice is covered or united with soft solder and finished 

 down with sand-paper. Muriate of zinc is used as a flux. 



All of the above splices are exhibited, both in the finished state and 

 in process of construction. 



