FAILURE OF THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAY THE COOK’S STRAIT CABLE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 402, 13 August 1866, Page 3

FAILURE OF THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAY THE COOK’S STRAIT CABLE.

(From the Special Beporter of the Wellington Independent.) THE PURCHASE OP THE CABLE. —ITS TRANSMISSION TO THE COLONY. —TERMS MADE WITH TUB CONTRACTORS. Perhaps iu no undertaking lias greater or more general interest been taken by the colonists, than in the linking together of the Northern and the Middle Island by the means of the Cook’s Strait Submarine Cable. Nearly a year ago the General Government communicated with Mr John Morrison, the Loudon Agent of the province, and directed him to procure a cable of the kind required, and otherwise make what arrangements were necessary for carrying out the object in view. He accordingly opened communications with several linns, and ultimately after maturely considering the character of the channel, the contingencies affecting the shore-ends of the cable, and the delay and inconvenience which would be caused by a reference to England for repairs, it was deemed desirable to adopt a cable similar in construction, but mush heavier iron sheathing, to the proposed submarine cable for the China Seas and Torres Straits, as such is the description of cable now invariably adopted by the Submarine Telegraph Companies and the English Government. Acting on the recommendation of the Director of Publio Works at Hobart Town, Mr Morrison stipulated that the manufacturers should ship and submerge the cable at their own risk, and moreover maintain it in working order for twelve months. Several tenders were submitted, and in December last a contract was entered into with Mr F. W. Henley, Submarine Telegraph Cable Manufacturer and Electrical Engineer, to construct a cable for the Cook’s Strait service. The terms agreed upon were these:— 1. The cable was to be forty-six nautical miles in length; it was to contain throe conductors, and to be conducted in every respect according to specification. • 2. The cost of it was to bo four hundred and forty-eight pounds per nautical mile, or twenty thousand six hundred and eight pounds free on board of ship. 3. The contractor undertook to submerge and maintain it against all risks and in good working order for twelve months from the date in which it was laid and in work ; excepting only the risk ci damage done to it by vessels. .4. For submerging and maintaining cable in good order and electrical condition for the twelve months, for providing, paying out, and packing up machinery, tank, in which to submerge the cab's while on board the ship, timber, buoys. &c., &e., (all of which become the property oi Government) and for sending out and paying all cs•••senses (■•luring the period of guarantee) of an u.u >i,t staff, the contractor was to be paid the sum oi re thousand nine hundred pounds. Should Mr lieniev ho required to guarantee and maintain the cable* for twelve months against damage done to it by ships, a further sum of two thousand pounds to be paid to him. 5. Tho Government on their part were to provide a suitable sailing vessel, to’be apme-ved bv Mr Henley, for the conveyance of the cable ; one or two steamers to tow her across the Jr trait, and to assist at laying ; to pay the freight, biro of steamers, and marine insurance on cable, &c. The remainder of the conditions, which it is not necessary to give at length, provided that the total cost of machinery, cable, guarantee, &e., bein'* £2(5, bOS, a sura of M 13,254 was to bo paid on the shipment of the cable, and the remainder of the price in two equal instalments, the first to be paid

after file cable had been in good working Order for three months, and the second on completion of the twelve months guarantee. The freight of cable to Wellington in the Weymouth cost a further sum of £3,500, one half of which had to be paid by the Government on the arrival of the vessel hero and the remaining half on the cable being successfully laid. It was expressly stipulated that the Government should not be liable for any default of the officers, pilots or men, whom the contractor or the agent might have placed at his disposal to assist in laying the cable. We believe, that in accordance with the above arrangements half the charges for freight and half the price of the cable have already been paid by the Government. All the remaining payments will not of course be made till the cable has been successfully laid and kept in working order for twelve months. We have been somewhat explicit in sfai iug these facts, as it is important the public should know what is the precise position of the Colony in the matter.

AEEITAL OF THE WEYJIOETU.—SELECTION OF LAUDING PLACES.

The fine clipper ship Weymouth, with the cable on board, arrived at Tort Aicholson from the Downs on the 3rd July, after a passage of 93 days. Mr Edward Donovan, who, with a small staff of assistants, had been selected to carry out the laying and maintenance of tiro cable during the period of guarantee, were passengers by tbs vessel. Previous to the Weymouth’s arrival Mr Sheath, Captain Holiday, the Wellington Harbor Master, Captain Sharp, President of the Marine Board Mr J. Balfour, and Dr Hector, made an examination of several localities with, (he object of choosing the best landing-places for the cable, and ultimately recommended that it should run from Lyall’s Bay, on the north side of the Strait, to White’s Bay, on the south side. These localities were accordingly chosen, partly because the bottom at each side was sandy and regular, and also because the cable could thus be laid in the line of the only dangerous swell which could affect the places, and thus with a sandy bottom be almost free from injury. A final survey of the localities was mads on the 26th July, in the s.s. Taranaki, and on Friday it was decided that the work should be commenced that night.

STABTIHG OS Tin: EXEEDIXION.—EATING THE SHOES END AT IAMLIfs BAY.

I went on hoard the Weymouth on Friday night about nine o’clock, and an hour afterwards site was lowed out by the s.s. Taranaki, the little paddle steamer Sturt acting as tender. The weather was eminently favorable to tbo undertaking. Not a breath of wind rippled the waters of the harbor as they lay bathed in the clear silvery moonlight, and everyone on board augured happily of the enterprise. Oa passing Worscr's Bay a rocket was thrown up for a pilot, who af forwards came off in a boat and joined us at Lyall’s Bay, which we soon afterwards reached. Now commenced the work of laying the shore end, and hers it is necessary to describe the machinery employed in paying out the cable. The cable lay iu an enormous circular tank in the ship’s hold, round which were stationed twenty-live men belonging to 11.M.5.5. disk, who lifted the coils as lacy were pulled up on deck through a Imwsopipe. Fake upon fake, in beautiful symmetry, lay the forty-six miles of cable, and they passed'stcadiiy up without the slightest hitch, the men working cheerily, and Mr Stafford, the foreman, watching, knife in hand, to separate any pieces of wood or vopoyarn which might accidentally adhere to it. The cable was two inches in diameter, and consisted of three copper wire conductors, each enclosed in guttapercha, to insulate them, and these again had a coating of hemp round them. The sheathing which enclosed the core consisted of twelve stout No, 1 Birmingham guage iron wires, w hile outside of all was a double coating of Bright and Clark’s compound. The cable passed up through a large ring iu the centre of the tank, and then reached the deck through a quadrant hawsepipe, from whence it led aft along a sort of wooden trough till it reached the machinery near the mizemnast. Here it passed through a metal groove and over two wheels, with wooden wheels above, which could rapidly bo screwed down to check its progress when necessary. The cable next reached the drum and took four turns round it, the end then pns.-iug along the poop till it readied the stern sheets, where a massive iron apparatus somewhat similar in principle to the davits for lowering a boat, projected over the taffVml. Through a large sheave Cited in this the cable descended towards the sea in a slanting direction, and passed into (ho water about twenty feet from the stern. The machinery attached to the drum consisted first of a spur wheel close to the side of it. Smaller cogwheels acted on the spur wheel, and were themselves controlled by two flywheels. An arrangement of iron bands and powerful levers acting on the ily wheels co..stituted the checking power employed. Aten horse power engine worked the machinery and enabled the cable to be paid cut while the vessel lay at rest, which was the ease o.u ing tiie time of laying the shore end ; but afterwards the force exerted by the Weymouth wldio tcv. i'd through the water by the Taranaki w:u sumcieat to pay out the cable. ■So much cs to the machinery ; let mo now return to the main business—the laying the shoie cud. Thi?- >. r u ■ y means of the barge Wild Buck and il cj, t «. - earner Sturt, both of which convoyed a sufficient length of the cable on shore, it was about two o eh.ck in the morning when the bsrje went away with ilr Donovan anti his pariv, consisting of Mr Sheath, Captain Scott, Air Stafford, aud-olhors. They had a precious trying job of it, as the morning was b;ite ; ; y cold, but on getting mar shore they soon got t:.e cable lauded and i-un along by the aid of the men waiting, to the station house. This was not hone without some difficulty, as even in tuat cairn weather, the surf was pretty heavy. Bveryff.oy got wet, Mr .Donovan tttticafc of all, because lie was foremo.-t and most enthusiastic in ’he work. However, the shore end was at length placed, 1./iffj yards of cm vie Inning been laid down in coiug so ; and shoitly after ilvc o’clock the Taranaki got up steam again, and with the \Wymoutli iu tow started merrily for "While's Bay, followed by the Sturt ’ towed to the stern of the dipper by a hawser.

III!;; ACCIDENT—EHEAKIKGt OF THE JIACHXSEEY—BAIiTINO OF THE CABLE.

I don’t knoA' weil how in describe the disaster which so soon followed, in such terms as to convey a clear idea to your readers of its sudden, unforeseen, and lamentable character. I.was on deck throughout, and witnessed the whole affair, out (he breakdown was so rapid, and events crowded so quickly upon each other, that no written description could convoy an adequate ides of the actual events. After leaving Lyuil’s Bay, the cable was paid out steadily at first,"the speed gradually increasing until shortly after seven o’clock the rate was five knots an hour, ns indicated by the revolutions of the drum wheel. This being considered rather a quick rate, the towing steamer slackened her speed, while the Sturt stopped paddling and was towed astern. By this time the client ol tho tide, into the influence of which we had just entered, began to be felt. It was running strongly, directly in the same course as the vessel, and of course tended to increase her speed. But after careful enquiry, Iconic to the conclusion that, allowing for the tide, the actual rate of the Weymouth’s progress was not above five knots an hour, and in tills opinion I am confirmed by Captain Mundle, late of the s.s. Wonga Wonga, who acted as pilot. At this juncturo everjthing appeared to be going on smoothly. I was standing at the taffrail watching the cable gliding into the sea, when Mr Donovan came up from the cabin, where he had been recording tho number of revolutions in that book which every now and then he devoted a few minutes to. Said a gentleman to him, “Well, everything appears to be progressing favorably,” and he replied in a cheerful tone, yet not without a certain tinge of anxiety, “ I think so,” and walked forward, Then came the catastrophe, which we were not longiu realising. Somcthinghad gone wrong with the cable in the hold. As it passed up, one of the men hod caagfifc hold of the wrung coil, or two of tho coils had stuck together and passed up to tho hawsepipe in a double bight. Probably no one will ever know exactly what was the origin of the disaster, but tho immediate residts were soon apparent. The alarm was at once given by the foreman to Mr Donovan that the cable had got foul below, who instantly shouted “Stop her,” to the steamer Taranaki, ihen rushed aft and hailed the fcturt. to paddle back so as to chock tho way of the ship. Alas! all these precautions were too late. Up came the cable through the hnwsepipp, passed along the wooden gutter, got on to the wheels in a tangled mass, smashed them with the strain, and (lion coiled round the drum, not in four sy metrical single turns, but in ten or twelve coils, each overlapping the. other and jamming between the drum ana the spur wheel. “Let go, and come away, for God’s sake,” shouted Mr Donovan to tho mca-o’-war’s men, who had a stopper on tho cable, near the drum, and quickly obeying the advice, they retreated to save their lives. Nor did they do so a moment too soon. There was a dull creaking and straining of the machinery, ar the cable paid out, not in a single smooth line, but scraped bare of its covering and threatening every moment to part. Then there was a sudden pause, and for a moment the machinery was still. Next instant a crush was heard as the spur wheel broke to skivers, then the cable broke short over the stern sheets, and all was over. A buoy, with anchor and chain, was immediately thrown overboard to mark the spot where the broken end had sunk, and then the few spectators on deck were able to realise that the first attempt to lay the Cook’s Strait Cable had proved a failure. People rushed up from below to ascertain what bad happened, and groups crowded together to look at the broken machinery, (lie fragments of wheels, and the remains of tho cable twisted out of all resemblance to its original shape. Nothing could have been more distressing than the scene presented. Mr Donovan, who throughout had inspired everyone with confidence, by tho energy, ability, and activity which he disployed, now that all was over, for a moment looked tho image of despair. But it was only for a moment as immediately he gave the order for a return, tho Taranaki was put about, and once more our course was directed towaids Wellington. The Lady Bird and H.M. s.s. Esk, which had been following in company, also altered their course, and in a couple of hours all had reached harbor*. 1 am glad to say that this disaster is by no means irremediable. The cable broke eight miles from Lyaii’s Bay, and about twenty-fire miles from the station on the other side. Through the straining, 500 yards of it have been injured, but the rest, 1 learn on good authority, can easily bo grappled up, and tbo repairs to the machinery, which have been entrusted to Mr E. W. Mills, of the Lion b'oundry, can be completed this day week. Such being the case, there is no need to grieve over what has been, after all, a temporary and unavoidable misfortune, which will very soon be remedied. Those who witnessed every incident Unit occurred during the recent expedition have perloct confidence in the ability of Mr Donovan and his stall, so that we have every hope, when a tew weeks hence another attempt is made Co lay the cable, we shall be able to announce its successful result.