Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-12-18
CABLE Is NOT LAD
FAILURE At SAN FRANCISCO w.o
CAUSED BY TOO STRONG
CROWDS WATCH THE WasK
GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT A1rau
URE TO START THE PACIFIC
CABLE.
ATTENDED BY MINOR ACCIDIN1s
CLARENCE MAckAY HURT aNn
SEVERAL CHILDREN ARE
INJURED.
ATTENDED BY MINOR ACClp, MIS-

San Francisco, Dec. 15.-An u0snc
cessful attempt was made yesterday
to lay the shore end of the paciGc
cable. AS result the big steamer
Silvertown, with the cable in her hold
is floating idly in San Francisco noy
Aboard the Silvertown there is keen
disappointment that adverse ccndi.
tons made failure of yesterdays at.
tempt to lay the first span of cable
toward the new American possessions
A strong unfavorable tide was the
chief cause of the failure of the FIRST
step in the great undertaking. Minor
accidents were encountered BY the
workmen on shore. Clarence H. Mac.
kay, president of the Commercial
cable company, was Slightly hurt.
Yesterday was perfect in the matter
of weather conditions and the occasion
had been made the cause for semi.
holiday. Fully $4,000 people gathered
at the beach, one-half of them school
children, to witness the beginning Of
The Gable Laying.
The Silvertown got under way from
her anchorage in the bay soon after
daylight and she was at anchor off the
beach soon after 9 o'clock. 1t was
nearly II o'clock before the life-saving
crew from the south side and the
Bakers Beach station appeared on the
scene with their surf boats ready to
lend any assistance that nigh, be
needed of them in communicating be.
tween the steamer and the shore. The
crews of these little boats, along with
the crews of two boats launched from
the steamer, carried a large rope from
the Silvertown to a point just outside
the line of breakers and there they lay
while one Of the crew of one OF the
life savers boats signalled for the
boat of the Golden Gate Park life say.
ing crew to come out through the surf
and take the end of the rope to the
land. The boat, drawn by the horses
of the station, galloped down bravely
into the surf and the men of the crew
climbed into their places. A favorable
wave rolled we'll up on the shelving
sand and the boat was shot from its
carriage into the water.
Horses Take Fright.
There was cheer from the crowd
as the men met the breakers, and that
same cheer scared the horses. The
team broke away from the driver and
it, with the boat carriage dragging
after it, plunged into the crowd OF men
and children that had gathered on the
beach. Several of the children We're
knocked over and injured in the
scramble to get out of the way OF the
maddened horses.
After several attempts the life say
ing crew succeeded in getting ashore
hawser to which was attached the
cable. A wait Of four and onc-half
hours was made for even water be-
fore attempting to draw the cable
ashore. The hawser bellied down SO
that it was impossible to draw it
ashore through the strong tide Just
before the attempt was abandoned for
the day number of men took hold Of
the hawser for final pull. The haws-
er flew up and struck Clarence Mac
kay, who was hit on the chin and
carried off his feet. Several other men
were injured. Darkness coming on,
the Silvertown returned to her anch-
orage in the bay. Another trial WILDE
made Monday.