Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume III

372 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. 1 Fig. 27.-TELEGRAPH SHIP “ SILVERTOWN ” LANDING SHORE END. Before effecting the splice, the top end of the cable in the tank to be paid out from is secured in position and threaded through the paying-out machinery aft, ready for laying. From here it is led outside the ship, and a sufficient length brought inboard again over one of the bow sheaves, for the purposes of the splice with the shoreward end. All this is shown in Fig. 28. During splice-making each cable is kept securely “ stoppered ” at the bows. In pre- paring to slip the bight over the bows, men are stationed at suitable distances along the ship’s side with hand, slip-ropes, the bights of which suspend the cable over the side, as may be seen in the illustration. When the splice is let go over the bows, the strain is taken up by these hand slip-ropes, the ends of which are let go successively as the strain comes on them in turn. By this means the strain—due to the weight of the cable as it sinks—is sufficiently checked for it not to come seriously on the ship’s stern. For slipping the splice at the bows, the following is the usual procedure : The cable is eased away through the rope stoppers until only a small bight remains in- board. Similar outboard stoppers are then fastened to the cable on each side just clear of, and a little below, the bow sheaves. A manilla rope is next led from the drum of the picking-up machine, and, threaded through the end of the outward stopper, is made fast to bollards at the bows. When this has been done on each side of the bight, the drum ropes are hove tight on board and the inboard stoppers loosened. A heaving-line is next run through the bight to guide and steady, it over the bows. The drum ropes are then slackened away, thus gradually lowering the bight of cable into the sea. As soon as the bight has reached the position illustrated by Fig. 29, the heaving-in line is run clear of the cable ; and when sufficient length of drum rope has been paid out, the ends fast to bollards are let go, and the ropes run clear through th© outboard stoppers. Having successfully passed the cable out- boaid, and the ship being suitably handled, the line leads out from the stern. The vessel forthwith sets out on her course for the pro- posed route, and paying out is proceeded with. When a cable is laid at a uniform speed, on Fig. 28.—PREPARATIONS FOR SLIPPING SPLICE FOR PAYING OUT FROM STERN.