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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LITICO 885

7

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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Vancouver and Australia via Fanning, Fiji, and Norfolk Island. A selection of these soundings is shown upon the charts, but the full lists of soundings have all been published (except those obtained this year between Vancouver and Fanning not yet printed), and the different cable manufacturers have had them. I forward the general chart of the Pacific showing the lines of soundings to date.

I also forward a report on the suitability of Fanning and Palmyra Islands as cable stations, from which it will be seen that, in Captain Field's opinion, Fanning is the best

of the two.

•

Other sections of the slopes of the islands not published in the report are in the Hydrographic Department, and of course at the service of anyone preparing to lay a cable.

W. H. Mercer, Esq.,

Colonial Office,

Downing Street, S.W.

Yours truly,

W. J. L. WHARTON,

Hydrographer.

Enclosure in No. 3.

EXTRACT FROM a Report by Captain A. M. Field. R.N., oF H.M.S. “PENGUIN"

(1897).

Relative Merits of Palmyra and Fanning as Cable Stations.

From the foregoing remarks on the capabilities of, and the facilities offered by the two islands, it will be apparent that the latter is in every respect better suited for the purpose. The difficulty of landing at Palmyra is a serious defect in itself, whilst the singularly broken-up character of the reef renders any attempt to construct a landing place a very costly operation. When constructed, the long distance to the anchorage and the heavy swell with blind rollers would render the passage of lighters to and fro dangerous and coaling tedious.

In respect of climate there is probably not much difference, but in everything else that appertains to comfort of living, Fanning Island is greatly superior.

As regards facilities for landing the shore end of the cable, the slopes at Fanning are not greater than those at Palmyra. At Whaler anchorage, it is true, there are two very abrupt falls in the otherwise molerate slope, as also off the north part of the island, but at English Harbour the slope is singularly uniform and moderate for the edge of a coral atoll rising out of deep water, and the additional wear and tear caused by the action of the tide could no doubt be suitably provided against.

The only remaining point of comparison is the facility offered by each island as anchorage for a cable ship. At Palmyra there is abundance of room in moderate depth of water, but with strong tides causing the ship to be generally tide ridden and at an incon- venient distance from the shore.

At Fanning, on the other hand, by the first scheme herein submitted, the ship lays in the inner anchorage out of the tide; and by the other alongside a wharf, and the cost of either scheme must be balanced against the expenditure absolutely necessary to he incurred at Palmyra before it could be thought of as a cable station.

In the event of neither scheme being entertained there yet remains the possibility of her being able to lay permanently at Whaler anchorage at moorings laid down for her, coaling being carried out from English Harbour, at a distance scarcely greater than it would be necessary to effect it at Palmyra, but under conditions infinitely more

favourable.

On the above grounds, therefore, I am of opinion that Fanning Island is the more suitable island of the two for the purposes of a cable station.

A. MOSTYN FIELD,

Captain.

H.M.S." Penguin,"

Honolulu, 6th August, 1897.

السلام

9

No. 4.

SIR W. H. PREECE to MR. MERCER.

Gothic Lodge, Wimbledon,

DEAR MR. Mercer,

December 21, 1899. I HAVE carefully re-read my evidence given in 1896, and I see nothing to modify except the grammar and the language. The facts remain as statel. The price of materials, especially gutta percha, has gone up immensely. No modification has taken place in the form of cable, but very important experiment have been made in the speed of working, which lead to the conclusion that an improvement of about 15% has been secured and may be anticipated. This would enable an alteration in design of cable to be specified which would compensate for the increase in the cost of materials, and prevent any serious if any-increase in the estimates.

I am badly laid up here. I was in the wreck of the Irish Express and was very Dearly wrecked myself." Tam, however, getting on well and shall be convalescent with, the New Year.

Yours very truly,

W. H. PREECE.

P.S.-I should be much indebted to you if you would send me (here) a copy of the complete report of the enquiry in 1896. My copy is with the official papers in the G.P.O. I fear Lord Selborne, in spite of his severe and searching cross-examination, did not grasp the meaning of what we call the logd curve,” A cable worked continuously for 24 hours can transinit, on the average, only that amount of work which is represented by 10 hours' continuous work at maximum high pressure. This is difficult to realise, but it is a truth that every practical man knows, and which every cable company could verify.

No. 5.

MR. ALEXANDER SIEMENS to MR. MERCER. (Received December 21, 1899.)

DEAR MR. MERCER,

12, Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster,

London, S.W., December 21, 1899. I DULY received your letter of the 16th instant, together with a cutting of my evidence before the Pacific Cable Committee of 1896, and as desired by the New Com- mittee, I beg to state that nothing has happened to modify the opinions I expressed on technical matters.

Seeing, however, that the other witnesses have thrown doubt on the value of our method of securing the uniform distribution of the slack, as detailed in my answer to question No. 538, I should like to add a few remarks to this description.

The auxiliary steel wire sinks to the bottom of the sea and follows thus closely the contour of its surface; it is therefore quite certain that the slack will be the same whether the bottom of the sen is level or sloping.

At the same time the varying strain gives a continuous indication of the depth of the water, even better than one-mile soundings would give, such as recommended by one witness.

It should not be overlooked that the principal object during the laying of a cable is to distribute the slack as evenly as possible, and our method assures that to be the case.

With reference to my answers 615 and 646, I can now add that the Third Com- mercial Cable, laid by us in 1894, has not yet cost a single penny in repair, and its electrical condition is as good as when first laid.

The cost of materials has lately risen considerably, and there is little prospect of a fall in any of them.

You will, however, remember that I informed the Committee that our prices given to the Canadian Government were under the circumstances rather wide (answer 634); also that we should have to substitute a cheaper quality of steel wire (answer 566). These two circumstances counteract the rise in cost of materials to a large extent, so that practically our price for Route 1 would be about the same, or not much higher even at -present prices.

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