THE SEVERED CABLE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2262, 23 September 1914, Page 6

THE SEVERED CABLE

NO WORD/FROM FANNING ISLAND. (By ■ iielegrapii;—Press Association.) Auckland, September 22. Mr. Millwarrl, manager of the Pacific Cable Board, arrived in the Iris to-day. Ho states he has had no communication from Fanning Island since the cable was cut. The. board's employees and families on the island numbered 30, and Mr. Millward had bo idea of what had> happened to ihen . . ••.-.■ The Iris brought orer three officers from Norfolk i Island) being the usual .staff,.ex<jhanges..i:i..,,i-.fITf>oiV1 Tf>oiV '(mi." .

RESTORING THE LINE. . ACTIVE PREPARATIONS; ' Auckland, September 22. , . Preparations have been made by Mr.' Millward for tho restoration of the Pacific cable service as soon as arrangements have been made that will enable the work to be- undertaken. Since he lias no explanation of the cause of the interruption, Mr. Millward has based his, plans on tho presumption that the entireiequipment of the station, including the buildings and instruments, will have to be replaced.' ' Provided that protection is" given against further interference by the enemy, he will be able to restore communication within one month from the departure of the equipmont, and workmen from Auckland. Discussing the interruption of the cable from the commercial point of view, Mr. Millward' remarked, that the enforced idleness of the cable was in every way mos't regrettable. Since the outbreakof the war'the traffic had increased very greatly, and when the interruption cecurred the cable was handling 24,000 words a day, being worked, to its maximum capacity with no more than > the normal delay, though a,slightly heavier traffic could have been sustained without serious delay in transmission. This rate was determined by the "slowest section, the long span of 3458 nautical miles from Fanning Island to Bamfield Creek (Vancouver Island). .