'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎680r] (1361/1386)

7
is much shortened. The fault in no way interferes with good working, and, there
fore, its repair will not be attempted till its resistance goes down and its position
can be exactly localized.
24. Bushire-Jask Gutta Percha Cable of 1885.—The small fault which
appeared in this Section in December 1885, and which was never accurately loca
lized owing to its very high resistance, has quite sealed up and the insulation
resistance is now satisfactory.
25. Bushire-Jask India Rubber Cable of 1869.—This Section has continued
faulty throughout the year. There were at least two and possibly three faults
remaining on the 1 st April 1890. Their localization will be proceeded with on
the next trip of the “ Patrick Stewart ”, when some lengths of original cable, in
one of which one fault is known to exist, will be renewed. The presence of
these faults interfered in no way with the working.*
26. Jask-Manora Gutta Percha Cable.—The Gwadur Station having been
cut out of the cable system in September 1889, the two sections Jask-Gwadur and
Gwadur-Manora have been made one. The insulation of this Section is now quite
satisfactory.
27. Harbour Cables. The extension of the Railway lines, noticed in last
year’s report, has been steadily progressing and a great length of the harbour cables,
between the Central Office and the Custom House, is now covered by embank
ments. During the construction of the lines and some roads the cables were
uncovered in places and damaged by the workmen. One total break, caused by the
point of a pickaxe penetrating the cable and severing the core, and one partial earth
fault from the same cause, were discovered on the 11 th September 1889 and repaired
on the 21 st. Two more partial faults were discovered on the 30th December 1889,
and could not be repaired as a road was constructed over the position of the fault.
To avoid this dangerous ground a land-line 2,818 yards long was construct
ed from the Central Office to near the Custom House. Here a roomy cable
house was built and six cables entrenched up to cable box No. 6, beyond the
Custom House.
28. Working and Testing.—Duplex working has been established as an ex
periment on the Bushire-Jask Gutta Percha Cable, and has been found to be very
useful during the periods of interruption on the India Rubber Cable, when the
Jask-Karachi Cable and one land-line wire were usedin connection with duplex
on the above Cable. The speed of working attained, however, is not as great
as was anticipated, but with additional apparatus now being manufactured it is
hoped that it will be raised considerably. The undertaking is nevertheless an
undoubted success and unique in its way as it is believed to be the first instance
of a long sea cable being worked by the duplex method with ordinary Morse
instruments. Great credit is due to Mr. Possmann, the Engineer and Electrician
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Telegraphs, by whom the system was devised and to whose
calculations the instruments used were manufactured in the workshops of the
Indian Telegraph Department.
29. Mr. Pierce, one of the Superintendents of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Section, carried
out some experiments in automatic signalling with such satisfactory results that
two sets of Wheatstone's fast working automatic transmitters and receivers
complete have been indented for from England, with the view to giving practical
effect to the system. Great credit is due to Mr. Pierce for suggesting and
conducting these experiments from which much is hoped for in the future.
30. An official history of the cables was completed during the year by Mr.
Possmann, the Engineer and Electrician. This work will be of the greatest use
and interest so long as the cables exist.
. Faults and Interruptions on the Cables.
31. On the 31st March 1889, there were three faults awaiting repair. One in
the Fao-Bushire Section discovered in January 1889 and not localized. One in
the Bushire-Jask Cable of 1885, which appeared in December of that year and
not localized. One in the Bushire-Jask India Rubber Cable discovered in
January 1889, and not localized. During the past year 7 new faults occurred
• Since writing the above, three faults have been removed and the insulation of this section has risen.