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BROKEN CABLES.
Searching for the Severed Wires
in Midocean.
How Injuries are Inflicted Upon
Cables.
-to location of a cable break is very
accurately determined by a process
known to electricians and by an instru-
meat which discloses how far an elec
trical current, started on a given lino of
wire, travels before it meets with inter
ruption. The calculation of the dis
tance to the break made on this side the
At.antic can be checked and confirmed
by a similar calculation made on the
other side, although such a confirmation
is scarcely necessary. After having
found out how far from land the break
is, the only other thing the captnin or
navigator of the cnblo steamer wants to
know is in what direction that distance
is to be traveled; and as the course of
the cabla is perfectly well known from
the fuct that when the cable was laid
accurate observations were taken by the
cable-layers, and records made, the
cable s: earner starting out to do the re
pairs can steam directly over the spot
where the break is located.
Of course when the statement is
made, it is not at all meant that the
location can bo determined within
a few inches or a few feet, but it can
-be determined within a very limited
area, so that the grappling for the ends
of the cable do not usually extend in good
weather over a period greater than two
or three days, and sometimes docs not
last even so long as that.
The grappling irons are immense af
fairs attached themselves to cables manip
ulated from the deck of the steamer, and
are plunged downward and dragged
over the bottom of the ocean. When
the cable ts finally grappled, the fact
is mado clear at the steamer end of
the line by reason of the strain to
which the grappling-iron is subjected,
precisely as a fisherman knows that he
has a fish on his hook by the in
creased tautness of the lino. The only
difference is that in the caso of the
grappling-iron the strain is revealed by
an instument on board the steamer
known as the dynamometer. When
this instrument reveals the presence of
such a strain as the grappling of the
cable would bring about, the iron is
hauled up with the cable at the cud of it.
The repairers always calculate to
grapple the cable about ten miles away
from the point at which the break has
occurred. If the irons grappled the
cable too near the end, tho cable would
slip away long before it reached the
deck of the steamer. In some instances
no break has occurred at all, and elec
trical communication ha* been inter
rupted perhaps by the destruction of the
insulated covering of the cable, or by
some defect of a similar character, so
that when the grappling-iron appears at
the surface of the water the entire length
of cable comes up with it. Tho break
is then spliced, or the defects remedied,
and the rehabilitated cable is consigned
once more to tho bosom of the mighty
deep. Of course many times it is not
possible to determine exactly what the
cause of a cable break has boon, but
usually the trouble is that the cable
hos been laid too taut, and it has
broken or been damaged in a serious
way by reason of the immense strain
resulting on this excessive tautness.
The consequence is that, whenever a re
pair is mado in midocean, tho repairers
cut away all the twisted and strained
cable in the immediate neighborhood of
the break, and do away with all possi
bility of tautno3s by putting in twenty-
five to fifty miles of new cablo. This
may meander down tho side of a sub
merged Mount Washington, or may curl
quietly up in the basin of a Mohawk
Valley, but, whatever it does, there is
no chance of the cablo breaking in that
particular spot again from being drawn
too tight.
Outside of this, cables aro frequently
damaged by tho anchors of vessels,
fishing vessels chiefly, which anchor for
the purpose of carrying on thoir fishing.
Accidents of this kind occur of course
near the shore or on tho banks of New
foundland. Tho anchor becomes en
tangled with the cablo, and, rather than
spend the time necessary to got it froc,
the cablo is dragged up and cut and the
vessel proceeds on its way. Simply to
avoid a little trouble (ho captain of a
fishing vessel will put a cablo compauy
in for thousands of dollars of expense.
The situation is recognized by tho
cable companies, and they have a stand
ing oiler to indemnify any vossol for
the loss of an anchor, and they pay out
largo sums of money every year on this
score. It will bo scon that there is no
possibility of verifying such claims, and
the consequence is that false claims for
dataiages have undoubtedly boon put in
and unscrupulous captains . have col
lected money for anchors which wero
never lost.
Another source of trouble to„ the
cables are the icebergs. These icebergs
floating down from tho arctic seijs fre
quently extend beneath tho surface of
the ocean for many hundreds of fath
oms, and tho base of the passing ice
berg catching the cablo boars it onward
and finally snaps it in two. The bot
tom of the ocean varies in depth in a
very marvellou) way, right in the path
tlveso icebergs usually take. Oil
the banks of Newfoundland tho
bottom is reached sometimes at
so inconsiderable a depth as 75 to 100
fathoms. What this distance is may
bo estimated when it is stated that,
roughly speaking, thoro aro 1000
fathoms to the mile. But from tho
point where tho depth is 100 fathoms
the ocean bottom goes down the side of
amouutain to 2500 fathoms, or two miles
and a half, within a very short distance.
Perhaps the bottom rises up again and
tho cablo hangs between the two sub
merged mountain tops, and this iceberg
coming along quietly picks up the loop
thus formed and carries it onward until
the strain results in an absolute rupture.
—New York World.
Medical Virtues of Onions.
One day I was taken with chills and
headache, signs that my old enemy, ma
laria, was on hand. My quinine box
was empty, and I was looking forward
to a restless, sleepless night. In des
peration I peeled a raw onion and ate
it, and then went to bed, with warm
feet and an extra comforter, when,
prestol I was asleep in five minutes,and
awaked in tho morning freo from ma
laria and ready for the day’s duties.
Our homely but strong friend will be
appreciated in time as a medicine, and
if agriculturists would turn their atten
tion to raising a model onion, with the
strong scent taken out that taints tho
breath so unpleasantly, families will bo
putting their “pills” in tho collar by the
barrel, and tho doctors would take to
onion farming. Tho onion acts as a
carthatic and diuretic, and may help to
break up a cold or lessen the bad symp
tom*. Said a doctor: “I always store
a barrel of onions in my collar during
tho fall. We have them cooked twico
a week, and whoever of tho family is
threatened with a cold eats some onion
raw. If this vegetable were generally
eaten, there would bo no diphtheria,
rheumatism, gout, kidney or stomach
trouble.
“But bless you! tho young men and
women arc afraid to eat them. One
young man went so far as to say to mo:
‘If my wife ate onions I would get a
bill of divorce.’ ’’—American Garden.
Not so Many as He Thought.
The captain of one of tho lake steam
ers has a hare-lip and an impetuous
manner of speech. On his last trip he
had a consignment of one sow and a
litter of six pigs for Mauitawoc. As he
was in a hurry to leave port he started
for tho agent as soon as tho boat drew
alongside the dock. “Go’ sow an’ six
pigs to unload, hurry up! ’ The agent
shouted back all right aud disappeared
uptown to engage a force of men and
enough lumber to build pens for a
thousand pigs. In half an hour he re
turned with his lumber and men to find
the steamer had left tho dock and the
“sow aud six pigs” wero eorraled on
the pier. The agent is now saving all
the hare-lip stories he hears to tell that
captain when ho returns to Manitowoc.
Ho is going to get even somehow.—
Chicago Herald.
To Cut Through Florida.
The great project of cutting a ship
canal across tho peninsula of Florida is
revived by the incorporation of a com
pany for that purposo, with a proposed
capital of $60,000,000. It is claimed
that this passage, if opened, would save
from 800 to 900 miles in the voyago be
tween New Orleans and New York, and
nearly as much to European ports, and
great stress is laid on tho safety of tho
routo compared with the dangerous nav
igation arouud tho Koys of Florida,
where statistics show that tho losses for
eleven yeurs prior to 1872, amounted to
$22,000,000. —llailicag Age.
* The Spinning Wheel.
I would 1 could a-wooing go,
Quick would I fore unto tho hall
Where Bessie, with her cheeks aglow,
Hums with tho wheel against the wall;
And down before the feet I’d kneel
Of Bessie at her spinning wheel.
The runlight gleams the hillside athwart,
To color roses, wheat and wine;
So down the valleys of my heart,
Do bonnie Bessie’s blue eyes shine;
They shino on me until I roel
Like her own restless spinning-wheel.
Tho shuck upon the spindle tied.
Thereto the snowy roll is bound:
Then backward witli a graco'ul stride,
While zoon, zoon, zoon, the whool goo*
round—
Thus Bessie, to her labor leal,
Begins to work her spinning-wheel.
Now fnster flies the wheel around,
And backward go her slippered feet.
Then forward till tho yarn is wound.
And bulging stands the broach complete;
Complete upon the pointed steel
Of Bessie’s busy spinning wheel.
Fair Bessie with tho golden hair,
Hwoet Bessie with the deep blue eyes,
Is twisting for my heart a snare
' Each time tho slender spindh flies,
A snare for me which I shall feel,
Caught by the Fate that turns tho wheil.
And so I must n-wooing go,
And quick betake me to the hall
Where ivy cresps and rosas blow,
And Sol flings kisses o’er the wall,
And at the dainty feet must kneel
Of R ssto at her spinning-wheel.
— William T. Dumas in Atlanta Constitu
tion.
HUMOROUS.
Something to boot—a book agent.
The cane manufacturer sticks to hi*
business.
Even a watch factory will fail if it
runs on tick.
Internal revenue—The receipts of a
restaurant- keeper.
The dog day3 have gone, but tho cat
nights aro still with us.
It is easier to live within your income
than to live without one.
It is generally all up with a man
when he begins to go down hill.
The balloon is never arrested; and
yet is without visible means of support.
When tho barber talks too much his
stories are generally illustrated with
cuts.
A sister’s love is very swoet and holv,
but it isn’t at all satisfying if she i3
your own sister.
After a man has beon married a few
years he never dodges when his wife
throws anything at him.
Some persons turn down the corner of
t leaf of a book in order to fiud the
place. Others turn down tho street of
a city for the same purpose.
Another man has invented an air ship
which ho declares is “bound to suc
ceed.” It can bo depended upon to
succeed—in killing the inventor.
When a man feels like giving another
man a pieco of his mind he should think
about it. A man should keep his mind
togothcrif ho wants to be comfortable.
Policeman: “Do you tako care of
the dog?” Nurso girl; “No. Tho
missis says I'm too young aud inexperi
enced. I only look after the children.”
Oil Gent—“Little boy, I am sorry to i
see you smoking a cigarette.” Little
Boy—“I ain’t smoking it. I’m keeping !
it alight for another feller what’s gone
on an errant.”
D. M'LUCAS & SON,
INMAN - GEORGIA.
—DEALER IN—
BOOTS, SHOES, TIN-WARE, HARD WARE, NOTIONS, atui
FANCY GOODS.
LARD, CLOTHING, MEAT, CALICOS, RICE, LINDSEYS,
LARD, JEANS, and CLO\ ES, COFFEE, All Qualities.
GRITS SUGAR of Dry Goods. FLOUR, SPICE
and DRESS GOODS. MEAL, GINGER.
We sell as cheap as the cheapest. We compete with any mar
or any town; deal fair, make shoit profits, and handle the best goods.
We thaok our costomers for their past liberal patronage, and solicit
a continuance of the same, Prices on all goods GUARANI RED.
QUICK SALES1 SHORT PROFITS! FAIR WEIGHTS.
D. McLucas & Son.
I. C. GAT.
Tfie Cheap Cash MERCHANT.
PARKER'S MILL, GA.
DR} GOODS, TINWARE, BOOTS, HATS and NOTIONS.
All articles kept in a firstclass general store. Prices as cheap a*
the cheapest. Quality of goods GUARANTEED,
i. o. GAT.
S. S. SELIG,
WHOLESALE DEALER IN
Wines, Whiskies, Brandies,
Tobacco and Cigars,
Carries in stock a full line of Imported and Domestic Go ids. Leading brands of
Rye, Corn and Bourbon Whiskies.
STirstMllass Corn Whisiry from $1.50 to $2.00 per gallon. Rye from $1.50
to $2.00, $2.50, $3.00, $3.50, $4.00 to $6.00 per gallon.
AH kinds of Gin for $2.00 per gallon up.
If you want sample* *ead for quart iu cartoon boxes. No charge for jugs.
ORDERS BY MAIL WILL RECEIVE PROMPT ATTENTION.
A banker, complaining that the news
sent him per cable by his correspondent
in South America was not frosh, the lat
ter asked, “IIow can you expect news
that comes through so muoh salt wat*r
to be fresh?”
The mother of a family was saying
that as soon ns the youngest child
reachod a certain ago she should break
up the nursery. “Ob, mamma,” said
ono of tho children, “that wilt bo fine
sport. 1 will break up the chairs and
John shall break up tho tables.”
i We nek the people of Fayette, Clayton and Campbell counties to try our good*
\ for family or medicinal use, as we don’t keep any
"BAR-ROOM LIQUOR.’’
Our goods are recommended bv doctors, preachers and the best eitiaeos of Atlanta.
S. S. SELIG,
35 Mitchell St., cor. Forsyth.,
ATLANTA, - - GEORGIA.
A Fortune for Her Smiles.
A wealthy gentleman who died in
Vienna not long ago in his will left the
wholo of his property to a person whom
ho had seen every day for years. This
was a young lady who lived directly
opposite h:s own lodgings. Of this
young lady the old gentleman knew
nothing whatever except her name and
the grateful fact that for several years,
as lie had passed to and fro, she hail
greeted his comiug and going with a
pleasant and friendly smile. Ho was
very lonely in his elderly bachelorhood,
and tho daily smile cheered and made
him grateful. No tie, indeed, scorns tc
havo bound him to any human being
oxcept to tho fair damsel who thus si
lently brightened his solitud*.
FINE JOB WORK
DONE AT
THIS OFFICE!
ADVERTISE NOW.
We will insert you a nice, well-displayed ad*
: srtisement at as low rates as any first-class
paper oan afford to do. Advertising rates made
known on application.
