The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-12-30

II NE NIllaNp bAa'h A'Ht -
across the sands and into the
sea. the shore end of the Com
mercial Pacific Cable was laid yester-
day in the presence of several thousand
people whose cheers upon the safe
landing OF the heavily armored line
resounded through the tropical shrub
berry of the always famous surrounu-
ings.
After hours of waiting, after calcu-
lations and counter calculations, after
changes in methods and final recourse
to shore power for the hauling, the
rock cable which will rest amid the
coral sands of Kapua harbor was pull
ed into place in one hours time last
evening. The great red sun looked out
from beneath heavy gray lids, before
dropping to a nights rest behind the
western edge of the hemisphere just
long enough to see the wonder that
had been wrought during the darken-
ing hours, when, with wind and rain
and half light only, the consummation
of the local work was achieved.
The laying of the half mile of heavy
cable, constructed with manifold wrap
pings of iron wire, which is laid about
the core in spiral stretches to prevent
the chafing against the rocks or coral
of the beach from cutting through and
wearing out the conductor, was accom-
plished with utmost ease and perfect
control of the forces which were
handled in the task. Contrary to all
expectation the cable ship was able to
come up within a half mile of the
beach, where, with nine fathoms be-
meath the keelson the vessel still
swings, waiting for the time when the
weather will moderate so that the
work of completing the cable will be
possible or the winds keeping up will
necessitate the stretching of the three
miles of heavy strand, the placing Of
buoys. and seeking refuge inside the
harbor as before.
The work was accomplished in the
presence of such a crowd of Honolulu
people as has seldom gathered. 1t WAS
a most cosmopolitan assemblage, not
such a one as is seen in the drawing
rooms, entirely, nor one made up en-
tirely of the men of Office and counting
room. Every profession and calling was
represented in the crowds which set
tied upon the fences and walls lining
the cable house enclosure. and the
beach for long distance on each side.
The men were not outnumbered by
the ladies', who braved the weather to
look with interest upon the bringing
OF the tangible evidence of speedy
oversee communication and joining
their voices and applause to the vol
ume of acclaim which resounded when
the hawser which did the pulling
brought the four inch conductor, and
then in a few seconds the great length
laid alone on the ground, there to be
guarded until it is placed within the
cable hut and connected with the un-
derground, which will complete the
local Jennings. The crowd was a ho'-
iday one and bore the waiting with
euuanimity. The shore was crowded,
not only at the +. NJ. Hatch premises,
which were used by the cable COM
pany as a reception point, but as well
along the Irwin place, and above as
far as the Castle premises.
Nor was all the crowding in of
spectators done on the land. The
ocean held its share of the onlookers.
Canoes small boats, and every kind of
float was there ready for enjoyment,
and furnishing excellent points of van
tage from which the occupants could
view the events of the day. Almost
every well-known canoe along the
beach was in the lagoon close to shore
when the work began, and it fell to
one of these craft to carry the end of
the line which furnished the pulling
connection from launch to shore. Cam
eras We're there in numbers beyond
but the returns will be small,
owing to the fact that a heavy rain
fall dulled the closing of the after
noon's work, and the most interesting
of all the events took place after the
light had gone so low that nothing
could be secured, even from long eX-
posures.
The decision to send the Silvertown
out yesterday morning was reached
Saturday after it was found that suf
ficient coal had been taken to make the
ship steady, and the prospect seemed
to be that better weather was in pros
pect. So II was that before 7 O'CLOCK
yesterday morning the vessel pulled
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