222
PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
"EPIC.O.885
7
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Cable tanks.
Instruments,
Maintenance Ship.
pendix 11.
Route and Landing
laces of
Cable.
Appendix III,
Vancouver
sland, St.
nan.
Appendix IV. Tanning
sland.
riji.
Norfolk Jaland.
Queensland.
New Zealand,
10
chase or rent existing buildings, and until the sites of the stations and of the landing places, with the distance between them, are known, the length of the Trench or Bay Cable required to join them cannot be fixed.
A
Two or three tanks for storing Cable on shore will be requisite. They must be protected from the sun by roofing carried on supports external to the tanks. vertical steam engine for hauling the Cable, and a force-pump and draw-off valves for filling and emptying the tanks should also be provided. "It will be easy to specify for these necessaries when their destination is fixed, and provision has been made in the Contracts for the transport of the materials in one of the cable-ships.
In this case there would be no difficulty in preparing a specification, but it has been found preferable to place such orders directly with the various makers of the special instruments required rather than to procure them through the Cable Contractors. The price of all instruments required for working and testing the Cables is accurately known, and there will be found, in a detached appendix, an abstract and details of all the apparatus and accessories necessary at each station, also of the requirements for duplex working and its installation, which are given separately.
Neither my firm nor myself are competent to make a detailed specification for a steamer, and no doubt a naval architect would be consulted in this matter. My firm will, however, if desired, be prepared to advise in regard to the class of ship most suit- able, and as to her cable machinery, gear, fittings, instruments, &c.
Attached to this report in appendix 2 will be found an estimate of the cost of each of the items not included in the Contracts, also the result of a calculation of the amount by which the cost of the Cable itself will be increased by the rise in prices of materials since Messrs. Clark, Forde and Taylor's estimate of January last.
The ten charts herewith show the proposed tracks of the Cables to be laid and also the scheme of the projected soundings. They also show the landing places which have been selected provisionally.
For a list of these charts see appendix 3.
Landing.--A cove near Port Renfrew, about 2 miles from the entrance to St. Juan Bay. At Port Renfrew there appears to be à settlement. See appendix 4.
Landing-Whaler Anchorage.
It appears from the report of Captain Field, R.N., H.M.S. "Peguin," to the Admiralty that whilst the best position for the purpose is at Whaler Anchorage, the most desirable site for the station would be Kitty Point. If this opinion is borne out on further examination of the locality, and if the owner of Fanning Island would allow the station to be erected at Kitty Point it will, no doubt, be practicable to connect the station at Kitty Point with the cable house at Whaler Anchorage, by means of a bay cable laid in and across the harbour.
Landing--At the town of Suva, in the harbour of that name. It is proposed to take the Cable through the Ndava Leva Channel.
Landing.--In Sydney Bay.
Landing. The chart shows an alternative route. In either of them the Cable would be first landed at a cable house on Moreton Island, and from thence to a cable house or station on Lytton Island.
Landing. It has been pointed out in the footnote on page 2 that it is difficult, without further examination, to decide on the relative merits of Parenga-renga, Ohoura Bay and Doubtless Bay. Whilst Parenga-renga seems quite suitable regarded as a landing place only, it has the disadvantage of having a bar across the entrance of the harbour, which would prevent the entry of the repairing ship, if of any size. The other two bays mentioned seem free from this objection, but either of them, if decided on would require a greater length of cable than is provided. The extra length required would not exceed 36 miles.
proposed landing places both for the cable houses and the stations, and to make in each case a definite recommendation of the site he considers the most ‘advantageous.
With regard to the station buildings, he should also advise as to the most suitable Station build local material for their construction, bearing in mind, however, that, wherever possible, ings. it is generally more economical and satisfactory to purchase or to rent existing buildings rather than to erect new ones. It would also be advisable that he should be empowered
to enter into provisional negotiations for the acquisition of such buildings, or failing them, of the ground on which the new ones should be erected.
He should also be able to advise which station should be constituted the head- quarters of the repairing ship, assuming that the Committee decide to maintain only a single vessel for the purpose.
In relation to this question it may be pointed out that in respect to position Fanning Island appears the most suitable station for the ship, but judging from the report of Captain Field, to make it available for the purpose, it would be necessary to dredge a channel between the inner and outer harbours, the cost of which would pro- bably be considerable.
After Fanning Island, the next most central position is Fiji, where, at Suva, there is a good harbour. Moreover, owing to the volcanic nature of Fiji, and to the character of the soundings to the northward, it seems likely that the risk of interruption to the Cable in the vicinity of these islands it at least as great, if not greater, than at any other position on the Cable system. If this is the case the ship should clearly be stationed at Suva, and the cable tanks erected there.
It should, perhaps, be stated that it is quite necessary to have a depot on shore where the surplus cable can be stored under water in suitable tanks,
In conclusion, I would call attention to the fact that the satisfactory working of a telegrahpic system, such as that under consideration, will depend as much upon the efficiency of the land lines as upon that of the Cables, and that the perfect organization and working order of the branch communications between the main aerial lines and the Cables is a matter of great importance.
The Secretary,
Pacific Cable Committee.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
H. A. TAYLOR.
Appendix I.
TABLES SHOWING TYPES OF CABLE TO BE PROVIDED AND UPON WHICH THE ESTIMATES AND SPECIFICATIONS, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 ARE BASED, WITH Proposen DistriBUTION OF THE TYPES OF CABLE AND OTHER DATA.
TABLE I.
lbs.
600 Copper.
VANCOUVER TO FANNING.
Core
340 Gutta Percha.
Weight per N, mile.
Landing Place,
Type,
Shenthing,
Cable providel.
N. miles.
Breaking Modulus.
Strain.
In air. In water.
Tons. Tons.
Tons,
Landing places.
REMARKS RELATIVE TO THE Survey and the wORK FOR WHICH SpecificationS HAVE NOT YET BEEN PREPARED.
Concerning the question of landing places, station buildings, &c., the following suggestions are submitted for the consideration of the Committee. Assuming that the Contract for Survey and Soundings is entered into, the Committee's representative on board the surveying ship should be competent not only to check the navigation of the vessel, and to decide as to the advisability of taking additional soundings in certain positions, but also to form a correct judgment of the best sites available at or near the
VICTORIA.
San Juan Bay
A.A. 12 No. 6 (+200) reclosel
with 14 No
(300”)
"
1:00
15-30
E.
10 No. 2 (280*..
B.
12 No. 6 (200")...
3:00 7:40 59.00 4-80 3:50
5:40
D.
18 No. 14 (083")
B.
12 No. 6 (200′′)...
8589-00 123
105
ጸብ
100 480
3:550
FANNING ISLAND.
Whaler anchorage
A.A. (As above)
0:50 15:30
Total 3653:50 ¡N. miles.
5866-5
B2
FANNING TO FIJI.
12
TABLE II.
Ibe.
220 Copper. Core T80 Gutta Percha.