Summary

Section of the shore end of a submarine telegraph cable.

The shore-end of a telegraph cable could extend several miles from land and was usually of more robust construction than the main, deep-sea section of the cable. The additional strength was required to protect the cable from wave action against rocks, snagging by anchors and fishing gear, and similar hazards. The core of the shore-end cable was usually the same as the deep-sea cable, but was surrounded by additional layers of insulation, protective wrappings and heavy armouring wires.

The cable was donated by S.W. Silver & Co of Stratford, East London, England.

Physical Description

The core of the cable consists of 9 multi-wire stranded conductors arranged in a circle with a diameter of about 35 mm, with another 2 conductors in the centre of the circle. The conductors are embedded in insulation out to a diameter of about 45 mm. The insulation is wrapped in 18 armouring wires, each with a diameter of about 9 mm. Each end of the cable sample is enclosed in a circumferential metal band.

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