The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-24
SEA CABLE LAID
AND CHRISTENED
"To the memory of John W.
Mackay ! christen thee Pacific
Cable. Good luck to thee. May
you always carry messages Of
happiness

After an unsuccessful attempt to send
ashore the shore end of the cable at
San Francisco, made on Friday morn
ing, December 18th, that portion of the
work of joining the continent and the
island of the Pacific, was completed on
Sunday, ten days ago, without incident
and in remarkably short time. The fall
ure of the first trial was due to the
high surf on the Coast and was the re-
suit, in large part, to the caution which
has marked the entire work on the part
of the contractors. The Silvertown left
San Francisco harbor on December 18th,
and returned that day, leaving again
on Sunday morning. This conforms,
except as TO dates, with the informal ton
from Tanning and without doubt gave
rise to the false reports.
When the Silvertown began the work
of laying the cables shore end, it was
II o'clock Friday. the ship having been
for two hours in fog about one mile
off shore. The lifesaving crew went out
and got the end of the tow line which
was to bring ashore the heavy cable,
which in turn would drag in the deep
sea line. There had gathered upon the
beach $4,000 people, who desired to as
sist in the inauguration of the great
work and the officials of the cable COM
pany, including President Clarence w.
Mackay, were in attendance, with many
invited guests. When the lifeboat with
the line approached the shore, the surf
being high and the wash on the shore
threatening, a crowd of people, headed
by Mr.. Mackay, and including many
students of the State University, rushed
to the boat and got hold of the line,
assisting in dragging it ashore.
It was when the heavy cable had been
secured to the shore end that the trou-
bles began. The ship signalled that the
surf was too high and wait of an hour
was had for the tide TO turn Then
there was commencement. The heavy
line was rove through block and a
team of dozen horses hitched to the
end for the purpose of dragging the
cable ashore. From the very first there
was disorder. The animals became
frightened and made q rush into the
crowd and several persons were bruised.
Another start was made and the heavy
line being suddenly tightened, President
Mackay was knocked down, though only
SIlSDtly HQEl, anu w. hIANSoA was
rendered unconscious for an hour.
Finally the cable was hauled in, until at
the middle of the afternoon, when
twenty fathoms of the sea end had been
dropped overheard, the Silvertown sig
nailed that it was too rough to carry on
the work and that a return to the har-
Dor would be made. This was a disap-
pointment not only to those who had
come to see the work. but as well to
the men interested, and President Mac
kay was the most thoroughly disheart-
ened of all. He assured his friends that
it was due entirely TO the contractors,
who had to lay the cable and keep it
in operation for one month, and that
their judgment was to rule.
The Silvertown returned to the har-
Dor of San Francisco and an immater-
ial break in the machinery was repair
ed. 1t was then decided that as the
heavy draft of the Sflvertown made it
impossible for that vessel to come
near to the shore, the steam schooner
Newsboy should be chartered, and six
miles of the cable put aboard that lit
tie ship The light draft of the
schooner made it possible for it. to
come within quarter of a mile of
the beach and rendered the danger of
trouble very much less. The transfer
OF the six miles Of cable occupied Sat-