The leader., 1902-12-17
THE CABLE 70 HONOLULU
An Unsuccessful Attempt to Unite
the Sea and Shore Ends
of the Cable.
ANOTHER TRIAL TO Be MADE MONDAY.
The Great Crowd Present to Witness the
the Operation Disappointed. Owing to
the High Seas, Which Rendered the
Undertaking Too Clarence
Mackay Slightly Injured.


Mackay Slightly Injured.
San Francisco, Dec. 13.-An unsuc'
cessful attempt was made, FRIDAY, 10
lay the shore end of the Pacitlc ca
BILE. AS a result the big steamer
Silyertown, with the cable in her
hold, is not forcing her prov through
the waves of the Pacific tonight. She
is still floating idly on the waters OK
San Francisco bay, and aboard OF her
there is keen disappointment that ad-
verse conditions made failure or
the attempt to lay the first span OF
cable toward the new American pos
sessions.
A strong unfavorable tide was the
chief cause of the non-success of the
first step of the great undertaking,
and minor casualties marked the eff
forts of the workmen at the shore
end, one of the victims being no less
a parsonage than Clarence ii. Mackay,
A Great Crowd Present.
The day was perfect in the matter
of weather conditions, and the occa-
sion having been made the cause for a
semi-holiday, fully $4,000 persons
gathered at the beach, one-half OF
them school children, to witness the
beginning of the cable laying.
The Silvertown got under way from
her anchorage in the bay soon aftG6
daylight Friday morning, and she
dropped anchor off the beach soon
after nine o'clock. The surf was
breaking heavily off shore, but the
seas were rapidly moderatihg 1t was
then decided to delay hauling the ca
BILE ashore until the water became
somewhat smoother.
Clarence H. Mackay and his fellow
officers of the Pacific Commercial Ca
BILE Co. had two large tents erected
on the sands of the beach close to
where the shore connection was to
be made, and there they entertained
their friends as they arrived.
Life-Saving Crews Assist.
1t was nearly eleven o'clock before
the life-saving crews from the south
side and the Bakers beach stations
appeared on the scene with their surf
boats ready to lend any assistance
that might be needed of them in COM
municating between the steamer and
the shore. The crews of these two
boats, along with the crews of two
boats launched from the steamer,
carried large rope from the Silver
town 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 signaled for the boat
of the Golden Gate Park life saving
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 favora-
BILE wave rolled well up on the shelv-
ing sand and the boat was shot from
its carriage into the water.
Cheering Scared the Horses.
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 driv-
er, 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 were knocked over in
the wild scramble to get out of the
way of the maddened horses. One lit
tie girl of about seven wears of age
was knocked over by the wheel of the
rig and her right leg was considera-
bly, bruised. She was carried into the
tent where the refreshments were be-
ing served to the special guests, and
there physician who was in the
crowd attended to her injuries. The
horses as they dashed into the crowd
OF children were caught by Joseph
Wright.
A HaWser on Rampage.
After several attempts the life-sav-
ing crew succeeded in getting ashore
a hawser to which was attached the
cable. A wait of four and one-half
hours was had for even water before
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 haw-
ser flew up and struck Clarence Mac
kay, who was hit on the chin and car
ried off his feet. George w. McNear,
prominent grain exporter of this
city, was hit on the back of the head
and rendered unconscious for brief
time. Frank Hotaling, of New York.
was struck in the face, sustaining
quite a cut. George Fraser, a photo
grapher, was also hit in the face; his
camera was broken.
Darkness coming on, the Silvertown
returned to her anchorage in the bay.
Another trial will be made Monday.