THE LYTTELTON HARBOR CABLE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1803, 1 December 1879, Page 4

THE LYTTELTON HARBOR CABLE.

On Saturday afternoon tho most important ■part of the work undertaken by tho Lyttelton Harbor Board to establish telegraphic communication between the signal station at the Heads and tho Board's offices in Lyttelton and Ohristohureb, namely, that of laying the cable serosa the harbor, was successfully performed. At 2 p.m. tho tug steamer Lyttelton, with Dr. Lemon and Mr Meddings, the harbor master, and Mr C. H. Williams on board, left the wharf for the Heads. On arrival there it was found that the weather was as favoras could be wished, the sea and wind having gone down very much during the fore-part of the day. Tho steamer at once proceeded aoross to Little Post Cooper, tho bay in whioh the Pilot-house is situated, and in which tho schooner Endeavour, with the cable on board, was lying at anchor. Dr. Lemon and Mr Meddings boarded the Endeavour, tho former to superintend the laying, and tho latter to point out the route ovor which he had taken soundings. A lino or hawser having been made f st to the Endeavour from tho st earner, she was towed ovor to tho opposite (north) shore, to •* bend in the shore just; inside Godley Head, on which the Lighthouse stands, the spot chosen for the cable to ba made fast being a few yorJs from tho L'ghthouse landing. The preparations made on hoard the fchooner for plying out the cabin were very simple. The c iblo itself was coiled very snugly in the hold, altogether nine layers of it. The end to be taken ashore was brought up and passed through a large iron block or reel, suspended immediately over tho hatchway, thence towards the stern between three iron leaders, e-ich fitted with a reel and intended to keep the cable running free, and finally over a large iron wheel erected close to the stern rail of the schooner, at tho side of the steering gear. At half-past three o'clook the first of tho cablo wa3 sent ashore, and was hauled well up and zr.aio fast temporarily to an immense rork, and five minutes afterwards Dr. Lsmon, having ordered his crew of eight (experienced hands at tho work) to take up their positions, gave tho words *' ready " and " slow speed " to tho steamer, and the work of laying commenced. Tho thick heavy wire (the size about 2in. d'.ameter, weight 9 tons per mile) rattled through the blocks and loaders, the six men cutting the strops off it as each layer was run out. Hore and there in tho cable a spicing or a " bird cage," a term U3ed for an open or unwrapped piece of the wire, would pass out, word announcing tho fact being at once given to those on deck to look out for it, that it should ho carefully watched in running through the leaders. Except theso occasional reports, not a word was spoken among those engaged at work on board the sohooner. In this manner the work progressed, the steamer towing the schooner astern across, and the latter paying out the wire until, when about midway between the Heads, tho report was given " broken wire coming." In a moment Dr. liemon called to the man at tho brake to ease it up, but the wire had fouled and could not be cleared. " Stop the steamer " was the next order, the Endeavour being, of course, stopped by the fouling of tho cable. Handspikes were set to work to relievo it, and in less than two minutes away wont the cable, free and uninjured, and towing was resumed. As showing the speed at whioh tho wire run out and its force, the interruption just noted may be referred to. Tho broken wire was one of the twelve wires that form tho outer covering of tho insulated wires within. The instant this wire fouled in passing under the brake it forced the levor (a heavy one of wood) from the hands of two strong men in charge, and Btruck against one of tho leaders, breaking the latter into two or three pieces as though it were a frame of rotten timber, instead of cast iron an inch in thickness. No further interruption occurred, and at _4 25 p.m. the order was given to " stop towing," the actual timo occupied in laying the two miles of cable having been only fifty minutes. The two vessels —the steamer and schooner—were then obout 100 yards off the shore, directly opposite the small sandy bay in Little Port Cooper, the spot selected by Mr Meddings for landing the cable. Boats were lowered, and the exact measurement taken of the distance to tho shore. A corresponding quantity of cable was then measured as it lay in the hold of the schooner and sawn off. This was laid by the aid of the small boats, and a gang of ten or twelve men ashore hauling upon it, the end being finally made fast well up on the beach. The unused part of tho cable, a length of something noar half a mile, was also sent ashore, and coiled up on tho beach, where it may be found useful should any accident occur necessitating a splice in the cable laid, or other repairs to it. The cable laying party then returned to town, reaching Lyttelton about seven o'clock. Dr. Lemon returned to Wellington by the Wanaka_ on Saturday night. As has been said, the weight of tho cable is nine tons per mile, tho breaking strength being thirty tons. This is heavier than is required for deep water cables. There are three conductors in it, one of which only will be used at present, or is likely to be required. Each conductor consists of seven insulated wires passed through a guita percha body, in form and thickness similar to an ordinary lead pencil. Tho three conductors are wrapped in twelve iron wires, each wire equal in size to tho conductors themselves, and the whole served with tarred spunyarn. The value of it is said to be £IOOO. The Harbor Board howevor will only be at the cost of the freight and of laying it, to which there will also be added tho cost of completing the lines which are to connect with it. Mr Meddings has charge of the construction work of the lines, having a sentry-box or small house built at either end of the cable on shore in which the land lines and cable will be joined. These buildings will be protected by lightning conductors for the security of the cable. From low water mark up to tho buildings the cable will be buried at a depth of three or four feet. The spots chosen on both sides of the harbor for landing the ends of the cable are extremely well suited to the purpose. On the northern shore there are a few large boulders, and for a short distance out from the shore some smaller oucd, bnt tho water is deep, there being seven fathoms close in. On the other shoro there are no rocks whatever, but a very short and steep sandy beach running quickly into deep water. Tho xoute between the two points has an average depth of eight fathomß, with a mud bottom right across. A very Bhort time will be required now to complete the work, though of course, there is a good deal of line to be erected ashore between tho port and Godley Head. The work when finished will, however, be one of very great utility at tho port, particularly so in times of bad weather when the situation of ahipH lying in the stream cannot be Been from the local signal staff nor the signals at the heads, and in times of danger to vessels, such as occurred in June last, in the harbor. It was an undertaking absolutely essential to complete the system of signalling from the heads, and the opportunity given to the Harbor Board by the Government for securing sufficient cable without cost was wisely accepted.