The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-12-03
CABLE BY
SEPT, 1ST
J.W. Mackay Talks
About His Great
Line.
Especial to the Advertiser)

laying of the giant wire on its bottom,
Hawaii will have a cable ready for use
between Honolulu and San Francisco
on the first day of September, next
year. John w. Mackay says so.
Mackay is the associate of Bennett In
the ownership of Atlantic cables, and
is, of course, known to all Hawaiians
as the multi-millionaire miner of San.
Francisco. He lives most of his time
now i'm the East, but arrived here on
November 10, to spend two months OH
the Coast. He is living at the Palace
Hotel, and chatted there freely-as
freely as a communicative man
can talk-of the cable project.
The Commercial Pacific Gable Com
pany, which will own the cable to Ha-
waii has nothing more to do now.
said Mr.. Mackay, until the cable is
ready for use. We have let contract
TO Gray Silvertown Works, near Lon
don, England. for the manufacture of
the first section of this trans-Pacific
cable. The price, which is 100000
sterling, or about 100000, includes
the entire work of making the cable,
laying it, and building the landing sta
lions The first section Will be $500
miles long. The distance in direct
line from point to point is but 2,lSO
miles. but 120 miles are allowed for
the slack. The Silvertown Works will
have to hustle hard to keep its con-
tract as it will take about two and
half months to bring the cable around
Cape Horn, and they have only about
ten months to do all the work.
LAS soon as we have finished the lay
ing of this section to Honolulu, We will
then go straight ahead for Manila, and
hope to have our cable in the Philip
pines within two years and a half. The
distance will be $500 miles. l believe
that San Francisco will be the leading
cable station for the East, and that
the possession of cable by Hawaii
will be the strongest factor yet in its
commercial upbuilding. We have got
ten no subsidy, nor sought any, and
are spending all the money ourselves
for the work OF course, we make GER
tain conditions to the government
such as giving precedence to govern
ment messages, and charging half the
ordinary rates for government mes
sakes. In case Of war, the United
states government will have entire con-
troll of this cable"
The fact that the contract for the
cable to Hawaii has been actually let
is matter of sincere rejoicing among
the merchants of the Pacific Coast
Undoubtedly ii will mean millions to
the Islands in the next few years. 1t
will mean that Hawaiian sugar stocks
Will be listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, and probably in the prin-
cipal European centers. All efforts hith-
erto to have these stocks listed in the
east have come to naught on account
of the objection that Hawaii, being
without cable connection, there was no
possibility of eastern investors dealing
heavily in them. The big Spectator
and investor wants to have his hand
always on the markets pulse, and to
know at any hour what the stocks he
holds are worth in their homes. and
what the physical condition of the
property is.
With a cable, it is safe to predict
that there will be an interest taken in
Hawaiian stocks that will aid the ISL
ands immensely, and assure the large
capital needed for the enlarging and
improving of the plantations.
The United States government will
undoubtedly make Honolulu a rendez-
Vous for the ships of the navy and the
transports of the army. With cable
facilities Honolulu will become place
for merchant ships from Europe and
Australia to stop at for orders as to
where to land their cargoes or to seek
others.
A leading hotel man here, speaking
on the influence of IA cable to Hawaii
in the tourist business to the Islands.
said: THE hotels OF Hawaii will not
be able to hold the visitors to the
Islands who will flock there after the
cable is in working order. l feel con-
iident that within five years at least
three large, new hotels will be needed
to hold the thousands who will make
Honolulu their winter home. The mag
nificent climate of Hawaii with the
ATTRACTIONS of tropical foliage, and the
finest sea-bathing in the world, will
combine to make Honolulu "A paradise
for tourists, and "A mint for bonifaces
If the cable is once there.
AS manager of one of the biggest
hotels in San Francisco, am con-
stantiy asked by eastern and Euro
peans about the accommodations. and
the points of interest in Hawaii, but
many times even when the parties
have been made up to so for a pro-
tracted stay in the Islands, plans have
been altered when they have found out
that there was no Geographic commu-
nication with the Mainland. 1t is Gu
rious how many people do not know
that there is no cable to Hawaii, and
how surprised they are to be told of
this fact. Invalids who would seek the
delights of the Islands, hesitate now
because of being cut OFF from their
friends, and business men who would
like nothing better than a flying trip
to the Paradise of the Pacific, do not
go, simply on this account
me ADVERTISER correspondent was
talking day ago with one of the best
known excursion agents in San Fran
cisco. He was much interested in the
cable project as he believes it will
greatly aid his business.
II think that within few years"
said he, there Will be cut-rate excur-
sions- to Hawaii, which will allow one
to go down from San Francisco, spend
ten or eleven days in the Islands, and
return here, after an absence of only
three weeks. With the big new ships
which Will pillow the Pacific in the next
couple of years, we will have fast pas
sages and superior accommodations for
l think that steamship
rates will be greatly reduced, and that
by 1905 there will be a popular rate
of from S15 to 800 the round trip. The
steamship companies will be able to
make these rates by carrying thou
sands of passengers where they now
carry hundreds. and by running ves-
sells of 10000 and 1900 tons, instead
of ships Of half that tonnage. There
will be excursions run from the East
10 Hawaii on a time limit for the round