81
325
23 November 1896.]
Mr. Gillies-continued.
Mr. TAYLOR.
is necessary to be done ?-Yes, to the reasonable satisfaction of the engineer, that is usually put in.
1189. Do you think they would accept that in the matter of survey which was costly; do you think the contractor would be likely to accept that?—He will jib at it, no doubt, if he can get out of it, but if you put it so that he cannot get out of it, he will have to accept it.
1190. But you feel satisfied in your own mind that that would be the proper thing to do, to have the surveys reasonably complete, so that you would be in a position to lay the cable in a place where it would naturally ensure a longer life-time ?-I am absolutely convinced of it; I am absolutely convinced of the necessity of doing it in the interests of the purchaser.
1191. And you think that could be done during the time that the cable is being manufactured. suppose it would take-how long would it take to manufacture a cable, do you know-a twelve- month? That section only or the whole?
I
1192. I mean the whole cable? The whole cable. I do not know that any contractor could do it in twelve months; I have not worked it out. The highest rate of manufacture of which I have records is 1,027 miles in 27 work-
ing days, or at the rate of 38 knots per day. The maximum length made in any one day was 52 miles.
1193. I think the evidence we have had here does not indicate such expedition ?-Naturally, I have not got these things in my head, but I can lay my hands on our own records in our own office. Any question you like to ask or give me I know of I will give you proper answers to.
45 miles a day.
Sir Donald Smith.
1194. It would be really as much in the interests of the contractor as anybody else, that he should have a good and sufficient survey, because he is obliged to maintain the cable for three years, and if he lays it well and not on danger- ous points, he will have a very much better chance of being able to carry out the contract? -I do not think three years is anything like a My sufficient guarantee for the purchaser. theory is that when you are coming up to the 18, 19, 20 and 25 years, then it is a question how the cable is laid, and where it is laid, that ite odd years depend upon.
Mr. Gillies.
1195. How do you account for experts arriving at the conclusion that the first period-the early period of the working of the cable after it is laid-is the one that is the most serious for dis- covering flaws; that if they got over the first three years they need not have any trouble whatever for many years afterwards?—I think that is equally true of the first six months; but for a cable that is to have a long life, I believe that long life depends upon its being absolutely well laid, and you cannot absolutely well lay a cable unless you know the bottom that you are laying it in.
Mr. Gillies--continued.
[Continued.
1196. Do you place as much dependence upon getting a good cable and its living long on the manufacture of the cable, or that it is placed in a good position at the bottom of the sca- Both.
1197. And really an inferior cable would live longer than a superior cable if it had got a good An inferior bottom-I can hardly say that.
cable would mean a very much inferior core, and you always have a chance of fault that throws out durability.
1198. Well, we have had some evidence given here which indicated that it was of all impor- tance that the cable should be a cable of first-
Unquestionably.
You class manufacture. have nothing whatever to give away in the way You want the materials-the of manufacture. wire-it is absolutely essential that they should be of the highest possible class, the steel wires that the sheathing is made of, and that the wire should be tested religiously.
1199. Do you think that there would be any difficulty in the contractor accepting the situa- tion of being compelled to make what would be considered the necessary preliminary survey before laying his cable? Would there be any difficulty in accepting that situation?—I do not think so at all, that being part of the specifica- tion that the contractor shall, before proceeding to lay, take soundings at such and such a distance apart, or as may be considered necessary.
1200. Can you form any idea of what sum he. would put down or would be likely to put down in his tender for doing that extra work?-For the whole cable?
1201. Yes. I made out that it would be about two months for that section. I suppose it would take his ship eight months; one ship eight months to do the whole, I imagine.
1202. He would have to have two ships, then? -1 imagine he would want about 1007, a day or 1201. a day for eight months.
Mr. Jones.
1203. About 30,0007. ?—1s it so much as that? Well, you would have to put a lot down, of course, for the pa-sage out and home.
Sir Donald Smith.
1204. Is it not a usual condition in a tender for a cable that the survey and the work shall be done to the satisfaction of the engineer or other professional man who knows what is really required?-No; there has never, that I know of, been any specification about a sur- vey, but always as to construction, &c.
Sir Saul Samuel.
1205. If a survey has to be made, would it not be better that it should be made by the Ad- miralty?-That seems to me the most perfect arrangement that could be devised.
1206. Is it common for contractors to make surveys; contractors who have undertaken to lay a cable; is it a common practice for them to
make
23 November 1896.]
Mr. TAYLOR.
Sir Saul Samuel-continued, make the survey?-Very often they do it in deep water.
1207. Very often they do; but is it really a practice?—I think in water of unknown depth a contractor would probably take soundings about 100 miles apart.
1208. Have you given any consideration to the proposed line from Brisbane to Fanning Islan-No, I have not.
1209. You do not know those seas?-No. 1210. Do you think it would be more difficult to lay a cable in those seas than between Fanning Island and Vancouver? I do not know those seas well enough to say I have not gone into soundings or bottom.
1211. Part of those seas are coral seas that the cable will traverse - Yea.
a
1212. Do you think in those seas we are now setting aside the line from Fanning Island to Vancouver do you think in those seas one cable would be sufficient; I mean one cable, or would it require duplicate cable? We have had it in evidence that one cable would be sufficient from Fanning Island to Vancouver. Now would there be any difference in those shallow seas from Bris- bane to Fanning Island-I have not gone into that section; are they shallow, shallow and
cural?
1213. There is coral, yes; some portions of it the shallow, some deeper. Can you tell me depth at all? I beg your pardon for asking you questions.
1214. There is a portion of those seas been surveyed, and there is no doubt that in some portions of it there is a very considerable depth? -I do not see why it wants two cables more
[Continued.
Sir Saul Samuel-continued. than another. The Red Sea is full of coral; the first cable lasted many years very well.
Chairman.
1215. How many years?-There are bits of it going still; it was laid in 1870, but it has been diverted. It lasted certainly, before it was diverted, 14 years.
Sir Saul Samuel.
that
1216. And the Eastern extension line on pick- ing up the cable found it buried in the coral, and they picked up a considerable quantity of coral with the cable in picking it up ?—Oh, yes, often happens.
1217. You are aware of that ?—Yes. shallow water you lay a very heavy cable; you make your type of cable suitable to the water.
Chairman,
In
1218. Can you tell the Committee what the condition of the Anglo-American commercial cable of 1894 is?-Which one? There are two; I mean they are different companies. The Commercial have one; the Anglo have one.
1219. Both. I mean were there two cables laid in 1894 ?—Two cables laid by rival companies.
1220, Well, what is the condition of the Auglo-American cable that was laid in 18947
-The condition in what respect?
1221. Is it working all right -Oh, yes. 1222. And the Commercial cable ?-They are both working all right.
1223. They are both working, neither broken down-No.'
The Wituess withdrew.
Adjourned till To-morrow, at Half-past Eleven.
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