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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

24 November 1896.]

Chairman-continued.

Mr. PREECE.

1433. Then besides the cost of the ships it is merely a question of the amount of cable that you use? That is all.

1434. Can you give the Committee an eati- mate of what the working expenses as apart from repairs and maintenance of the stations we have contemplated from Vancouver would cost? The working cost of each station?

1435. Yes. I have no figures by me, but I think you will get accurate figures from the Eastern Telegraph Company, and they are given very accurately here in Mr. Siemens' pamphlet. They are put at about 2,000!,

1436. For each station? each station.

—

About 2,000. for

1437. And does that accord with your ex- perience? My experience is quite different. These are stations, isolated stations, where there are a few men messing and clubbing together. You are obliged to provide for their amusement, and libraries and a lot of things that we do not think of in this country. I have visited a good many of these stations, and they are very nice indeed, and, of course, necessarily costly.

Mr. Murray,

1438. Is not Mr. Siemens' estimate 2,0007, at Vancouver, 6,000l. at Necker, and 5,0007. at Fiji-la that what Mr. Siemens estimated? Yes; 2,0001. is Vancouver, 6,000l. Necker and Canton, Suva and Fiji each 5,000.; together 24,000/. over five stations-that is about 5,000%

each.

Chairman.

1439. You cannot confirm or contradict that by your own experience ?—No, I cannot.

There

1440. Given a cable of the improved type that you are prepared to advise, or indeed any thoroughly well-manufactured cable properly Inid, and properly maintained, what do you consider to be its life?-The durability of gutta-percha under water is absolutely unknown. seems to be not the slightest signa of decay. 1 have got specimens of cable that have been down in the Channel now since 1852; that is 44 years; there is not a sign of decay and if a cable were laid on the bottom of the Pacific, and if the Pacific be free from volcanic action such as I have sketched out, I know no reason whatever why that cable should not last 100 years. As a matter of fact, there is no cable down for more than 20, and the two first Atlantic cables--the 1865 and the 1866-have both failed in a few years afterwards, unquestion- ably from suspension and rupture. Then they were badly designed cables, too. They were cables where the steel wire was not taped; each wire was wrapped round with hemp, and there is no doubt that the steel wire-the iron wire- decayed in the water, so that it weakened, and as Boon as ever it lost its strength, being under suspension, it broke.

Sir Donald Smith.

[Continued.

1441. No. 1 route, that you gave, Mr. Preece, is 6,353 miles, I think is it only in that, the distance, that it is an advantage over going by Norfolk Island? I see that by Norfolk Island the distance is given us 7,145 miles, or a differ- ence of 792 miles; is it only as regards distance? -Solely as regards distance.

1442. And do you consider it equally as good as the other in every other respect?—Yes.

1443. So that it would be a saving of 800 miles, iu fact?—Yes, 600).

1444. The Coral Islands; is it not the case that within these recent years it has been found that in many parts of the Pacific they are rising gradually to the surface, and that other coral islands appear to be springing up and coming to the surface?-That is so.

1445. So that you would have to count on that also with the rabie ?—Yes.

1446. With regard to the depth at which life that is whatever might be injurious to your cable is found, I think you say about 200 fathoms ?—About 100 fathoms.

1447. Was it not in the case of a survey made, in the Bulldog" I think it was, by Sir Leopold M'Clintock, and where Dr. Wallach, I think, was the scientific gentleman on board, for the purpose of ascertaining the greatest depth at which life was found that was after the failure of the first cable laid across the Atlantic-did they not find life of one kind or another some 3,000 or 4,000 fathome? They brought a starfish up on the sounding-line, or on the sounding-ball, and they thought this was proof of life but my answer had not reference to that kind of life; my answer had reference to these destructive borers that work their way through our gutta-percha, and get to the copper.

I do not think we have evidence; I do not know of evidence of their existence below 100 fathoms.

A

1448. Not to be found at great depths any- thing injurious to the cable ?-No, not at great depths.

Mr. Murray. 1449. It is your opinion that in the

per- manent interests of the cable it is essential to make an accurate survey before anything else is done?—I think it absolutely imperative.

1450. And you would not accept the proposals of these contractors to make a survey of their

own ?-No.

1451. As regards Mr. Siemens's process, which I need not go into, can you say more than this, that whatever it may tell you about ground that you have already passed over, it can certainly tell

you nothing about ground that you are going over? That is exactly the point.

1452. And, therefore, it cannot help you to avoid submarine difficulties which may exist in front of you?-Quite so.

1453. Then as to your estimate of the working capacity of 10 hours a day, it means, I take it, that though there are 24 hours in the day, you can only calculate on the average in employing your cable at its full capacity for 10? That is 80.

24 November 1896.]

Mr. PREECE.

Mr. Murray-continued. 1454. Would you vary that estimate at all in view of the fact that the hours of business at the two ends of the cable are different-No; I have taken that into consideration: they differ by exactly 12 hours.

1455. Are you speaking of Australia now ?- Yes, of Australia.

1456. Your estimate was not based on the experience of the Atlantic cables, then?—No,

Mr. Murray-continued.

[Continued.

it was taking the conditions of Australia into con- sideration.

Mr. Gillies.

1457. What would be your idea in the event of it taking two months to mend that cable?--You would lose your business unless you had a second cable.

1458-9. On that point we want a little more evidence?-1 um most anxious that you should get-it.

The Witness withdrew.

Adjourned till To-morrow, at Half-past Eleven.

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