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Cables Catch Wales

Cables Catch Wales image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
June
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Submarine cables are usually imbed ded in the slimy body of the ocean, but at certaln points they hang like wíra bridges over deep submarine valleyt, so that whales and other large inhabltants of the deep may become dangerous to the cable. Once in a while It Is the cable that becomes dangerous to the whales, as recently shown in an accident to the Western Brazilian line. There was some difficulty with the wire, and after many futile efforts the seat of the trouble was discovered seventy-six miles north of Santa Catharina. The cable ship Viking was sent to repair the damage, and began to take up the wire. After the cable proper had been grappled and was wound to the surface of the large drums provided for the purpose it was found that it floated very much easier and was more buoyant than is usually the case. The reason was discovered when in a loop of the cable the carcasa of a whale of more than sixty feet in length came into view. It appears that the whale had become caught under the cable, and, not being able to lift it nor go forward nor back, it became suffocated. By its last spasms or attempts to free itself the whale had damaged the cable so that the insulation was rubbed off and the wire became useless.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News