SWEPT BY CYCLONES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 114, 31 May 1937, Page 6

SWEPT BY CYCLONES

— Prem Annor.iafion.)

■ 11 w m 1 1 Cable Ship Forced To Cease Operations f gales in tasman sea

ilil TllCHMlh'

AUCKLAND, Last Night. After an absence from Auckland since March 24, endeavouring to repair the Auckland-Sydney cable, the steamer Recorder returned on Saturday afternoon with operations nullified by continual storms. Three cyclones and four gales were experienced in mid-Tasman, foreing the Recorder to shelter at Sydney for nearly a week. Temporarily abandoning work on the AucklandSydney cable, the Recorder located and buoyed the Doubtless Bay-Norfolk Island cable and returned . to Auckland for additional cable to carry out repajirs. She should sail again for the Tasman on Tuesdayi The repair of . the broken trans-Tas man cable has occupied the Recordei for a conBiderable time. The majoi fault is abouti 200 miles out from Sydney and in very deep water, but another fault is located about 40 milea out from Muriwai; When the Recorder left Auckland she steamed to the break at the Auckland end, eneountering extremely bad weather. The ehd was located at a aepth of about 3000 fathoms, but when the grapnel apparatus had brought it almost to the surface, the cable carried away owing to the pitching of the ship. The recorder then proceeded to tha Sydney end of the break, which is about 70 miles long, and spent three weeke under gale and cyclonic conditions attempting to bring the cable to the surface. After gripping the cable on two occasions and losing it in the heavy seas, the Recorder stitepended operations and steamed to Sydney for shelter. Putting to sea again, the ship inspected the condition of the abaudoned Wellington-Sydney cable and located and buoyed the ends of the Doubtless Bay-Norfolk Island cable,