The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-24
SilvertoWl1 Makes
Seven Knots
An Hour.
Reports Show the Vessel
Was Well Along a
Week Ago.

Unless there has been an unforeseen
and certainly an unexpected accident
to the cable ship Si1vertown, the Pa
cific Commercial cable end will reach
Honolulu before the beginning of an
other week.
Delayed two days by bad weather at
the Coast, the ship which is bearing the
strand which is to connect the conti-
nent with the Islands got away f.
nally and finely on December IA, and
according to dispatches received under
date of December 16 had covered 240
miles of the Journey to this city, was
paying out cable without incident, and
making a speed record of seven knots
an hour.
Honolulu folk yesterday were some
what downcast by the reports from
Tanning Island that the shore connec-
ton was not attempted until Decem-
ber 10, and that the breaking of the
hawser had caused the return of the
cable ship to the harbor, where it re-
mained ON December 20. the date of
the alleged dispatches. This came by
the steamer Sonoma from Tanning.
The news brought by the Sonoma came
through the captain of the British
cruiser Shearwater, who was a visitor
on board the Oceanic liner. From the
news brought by the Nebraskan there
is no conclusion possible but that dates
were mixed on the messages which
told circumstantially of the breaking
of the shore hawser, an event which
took place on December 13. In view of
this fact and the added circumstance
that the Nebraskan, which left San
Francisco ON the afternoon of Decem-
Der 16, had fine weather on the way
down, there is no other conclusion pos
sible but that the information which
was given from the Tanning office of
the British cable, was of the date of
December 15, and conveyed no later
information.
The news which was brought by the
steamer Nebraskan covers up to p.
m. of December 16, and the officials of
the cable company here take the view
that the Tanning information was con-
veyed as of recent date, when in fact it
should be taken as recounting the in
formation OF preceding days. They,
however, regard lit as peculiar that the
Nebraskan did not sight the cable pay
ing vessel, owing to the fact that the
route charted for the cable is that
which is followed by steamers from
the Coast coming to the Islands.
The progress of the Silvertown, the
making of 240 knots between the tine
of departure from the Ocean front OF
San Francisco and noon on December
16, is regarded as very fair, owing to
the fact that the weather on the Coast
Is always the worst encountered on the
voyage to Honolulu. If no accidents
have occurred since the last report of
the steamer, the arrival of the ship is
now expected on December %. The
speed report indicates that after pass
ing through the storm on the Coast the
ship was able to take up the usual
speed which is compatible with safety
in laying the cable, seven knots an
nOuI, anu VIII hecp up tliaI lhto uoA
ing the cruise, with the exception of
the time necessary to change over from
one tank to another.
The route to be taken by the cable
ship is 1900 miles in length, and from
noon on Tuesday last there were still
1850 miles to be trayersed. This
would take, with ordinary delays.
twelve days to cover, and the vessel
might we'll be expected to arrive at
noon on Sunday, being sighted several
hours before that time from Wanna
nalo or off Kolo Head. This is the
figuring of local cable officials, and
they are of the opinion that in view Of
the good weather encountered by the
freighter there is no reason to believe
that disaster to the cable has occurred.