A CABLE MAN

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2147, 13 May 1914, Page 7

A CABLE MAN

Jtr. L. Webster, the general .manage! , in Australasia for ■the Eastern Esiisiii slow Cable Company, who i% now visiting Now Zealaad on business MWieetcd with tho eotiipany, has be.eii .a nK-nvbtT' \ of the servic'6 hi' .34 years. It is h\' ■ tarfcsting jo Inaj/ii from the- visitor ttmt he was a Np.lson ho;y f a'ud was the first New Zealand eadei to j.oia the serviee •-'tiio first (if ft iqiig list) who have grad' liaied at tho c-ab'te-eiid ■..if WakaiJi.ia.k.a., nea r r JMsosu After « b.iiel ■expei'ieii.e.e Ut that statiOH ho was transferred to .Port Darwin, wljmi that station was Jlift ■oftl.y re'oeivins.jtnt.ion for tho wholo of Australia, and Scvf Kpalnnd.. After Port iJarwiii. ho spent fifteen » China at; Sli.Ti'ighar, Foocliao,( a.nd other sta■tjttnSj and iviis lifterwards s'tatiotaxd for a, few years at Singapore, tho I'wadquarters <i.f tli.e epmpahy. ' Mr. Webster ■eSpla'ijiod that thougU his wißpnjjy had work/dig ■aitOTgements with other cable companies., tlm .area, iindcr its cMt.ro'.f fletvuilly cskjidest . from Bombay (up to irjijelj ■p'ovt'fro'Sn l/ondou it w-a.s eoftirffllled'hy the Eastern 'CoiiipaiiyV-q'uito ft did'oren't eorporii* tiiai) rip W Pt'is.in'and Shanghai " (i'U CliWa), 'jlotvi) to J'ava.i a'nd south to Aiwtrfllia and New Zealand, Lately another cnbie. has toctt laid frem Ssmth Africa to. Aftstplla : with a Shwftf end at Adelaide, ajid on that nieotnH the hoadcprarlcrs. of the .epinpailj' wore nft\v ]o> rated in tiro Santh Aiisii-a'tian cap.ttaj.. Ti'io majiarity, W the Aiis'iralj.n.n Jie«''s from liome eain.e by, iVajj of t;h.b n.tw ■. oalile. Misread; d|?*ia Divrwau as faniierly.'" "Singapore was. iliq. company's working ceirtroj aiid tlierd three steamers vftre. kept in *o:nniiissioh • tia repair or renew cables as rbcpiired. For some (fine the eonrnaiiy l : ;#t a steamer at Sydiiey., kit the, expense, of pacing a whftc crew' all the j*ivr ,I'mtml .n:hen iht.'ir aetua:! sprviees only ho required ftr a lriop'th or tare Imtdly warraut.e'd the cojiyo'niencc...'l'lve.Singft* '.pore, beats Were'ait iwftviied )->>* eooKw.'' Mr. Webster stated' vftftt of thi« Cpffipauy's cable r.O'tlos,, the. roughest bpS- : t«m" for ffejif and. tear ivas in the dial■lmv waters■ aif the. < ! 9.ast *>f Java. Beiitg <*f a i'oicaiik' foriniiimii-tho hollow ivas very VficlO', atuNs tlif depths were n.at .jfreat tho cables received a g.09.d.d.0.«l of kuociiiivg abmit, Tire. ca4)b that lasted io'iifiost %h.s the fflie sunk 'on (W fwlj boitom at a. Great .dpptb,, wlir-rc il* aUA waters assured ji nijnmiirjn m wear. At fli.io time so'mo'VroiiMe ted to he experienced off th« China Coast tlsroyigh tho ojieratfoass of the teh tfair-ler*-. (><:■■ ■casioiialiv one rf the tewls woald si;et ftvul of tlio cable ami damage !*. wit) ■such tuislmjis bad n«t happened so frotftientiv of late Jfiafs. . Mr. W*b.sl«.F iniiends. to paj* a vmst : to Watopiialsa this weok.