§ SIR EDWARD SASSOON () HytheTo ask the Postmaster General, as representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, with regard to the speed trials over the recently-laid Vancouver to Fanning section of the Pacific Cable, he will state the length of this section as laid; whether the central wire of the conductor was surrounded by small copper wires or by spiral copper strips; the average weight per nautical mile of the completed conductor; the resistance per nautical mile of the conductor at a temperature of 75° Fahrenheit; the inductive capacity of the core as laid, tested by a null method; the resistance of the dielectric reduced to 75° Fahrenheit, and whether the signals were received on the mirror or on the recorder instrument.
1324 (Answered by Mr. Austen Chamberlain, for the Secretary of State for the Colonies.) The length of the recently laid Vancouver-Fanning section of the Pacific Cable is 3457-76 nautical miles. The central wire of the conductor is surrounded by spiral copper strips and the average weight per nautical mile of the completed conductor is 607 lbs., having a resistance of 1,990 B.A. ohms per nautical mile at a temperature of 75° Fahrenheit. The inductive capacity of the core, as laid and tested by a null method, is 0'419 microfarads per nautical mile. Owing to the want of technical precision in the question relating to the resistance of the dielectric reduced to 75° Fahrenheit, there is some uncertainty as to the exact information required, but, assuming that the question refers to the dielectric resistance after one minute's electrification reduced to 75° Fahrenheit and to atmospheric pressure, this value is 1,726 megohms per nautical mile as calculated from the tests made after the laying of the cable. The signals were received on the syphon recorder.