Posted on 02/08/2008 12:51:56 PM PST by decimon
It was sharks.
Sharks with laser beams on their heads.
Really! From the Wall Street Journal:
http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/02/06/conspiracy-theories-behind-those-cut-undersea-cables/
So now news sources are resorting to sarcasm to explain the public’s wariness towards Islam?
Dr. Sauder seems to have a rather dim view of the irrational Americans and the “NeoCon-Zionist tyrants” Israelis.
I missed the sarcasm and the wariness. Can you help me with that?
Most likely us. But unless it's a pre-Iranian invasion test, I'm not sure what the Navy is up to.
“I still say it was a weather baloon.”
I’m leaning towards swamp gas.
That’s one. An earlier thread counted eight cuts.
Did you read the article linked? If so then do you subscribe to this Dr. Sauder's anti-American and anti-Israeli screed?
Yes, mocking the conspiracy stories springing up.
“Magic Anchor theory.”
Probably dropped from the mossy shoal.
Was there any anchor chain attached to the anchor in question? If there was, how long is it?
1. No chain means it probably rotted off while stowed and just fell in the ocean.
2. If it was less than the usual length for a six ton anchor, perhaps it was probably cut after trolling for cable.
3. If it has a full length of chain then it was probably run out of the chain locker. The last link in the chain locker is weakened so that if the chain runs out, that link breaks rather than ripping out the chain locker.
???
Thanks.
Any insight into how an anchor on the seabed could shift so as to damage a communication cable?
I was among the bottomfish trawlers, at the time. There were many, many meetings. Not enough to make me an expert, but enough to get a good basic grounding in the subject.
I used to get paid to 'guard' a U.S. China cable. The money was good, but all I wanted them to do, was to bury the damn things deep enough that I could drag fishing gear over 'em. They did, for the most part, but still try to say we would be breaking some law or another if we did. They even tried to say that they had ways of telling if we were crossing our gear over it. Total B.S. , on their part. Some trawl door [making a 2-3 inch furrow, if that] isn't going to disturb any cable buried in three-four feet of bottom sediment.
The danger lies in places where it didn't get buried well enough (we had inspectors on board during installation to check for just such a thing) places it goes over hard rocky bottom (difficult if not nearly impossible to bury there) or in places where the cable may become uncovered by moving sediments. Otherwise, when they "work on" an existing cable, they have to pick it up off the bottom, and lift it to the ship. If that doesn't break it, then at best, there will still be a bight, or large bend of cable "extra" in the length, which can be potentially snaggy once they let it back down. Even though in many locales, they'd undoubtedly try to hydro-jet the cable in. What's the best they can do, that way? 20 inches?
But then you might well know all of this better than I do. Adding the rest here for lurkers general info and ed-jew-makashun, as much as anything.
The anchor is always supposed to dig in for good holding.
After the anchor is let go the ship pays out chain until they get the proper scope (usually 7x the depth) and then pulls on the chain to set (dig in) the anchor.
Cables are charted on navigation charts and marked Do Not Anchor.
If a Bozo anchors in one of these spots and accidently hooks the cable, they will bring the cable up with the anchor if the break is not near the anchor. If the cable breaks near the anchor, it can slide off. The best thing the Bozo can do at this point is let the anchor go with the cable and hope he doesn’t get caught. I’ve picked up discarded steel cargo wires in harbors and needed a tug & barge to come alongside & torch the stuff off.
If it was one of those al-kady ships we have heard about and they did it on porpoise, they likely would have pulled up the cable & had to dump their anchor to clear it just like the Bozo above.
I can always use more hand’s on info.
FWIW: I had a boss that worked for ATT’s Government Solutions. His org was approached by White House SS to determine if fiber could pick up conversations from cable laid on the premises. It did!
i’ve used OTDR’s and other fancy stuff to install cable, but this was a shock. apparently, there are tools that can translate sound vibrations into recognizable data.
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