The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-12-16
9. Va. TUESDAY. DECEMBER is. 1902 SECOND PAaT=
LAYING PACIFIC CABLE
Unsuccessful Attempt Made to Law
the San Francisco End.
FULLY 25.ooo wATcHsD THE woRt

Failure Of First Attempt of the Great
Undertaking Was Caused BY An
UnfaVorabIe Tide and Minor Cas-
ualties.
San Francisco. Dee. 13.-An unsuc-
cessf'l attempt was made yesterday TO
lay the shore end of the Pacific cable.
As a result. the big steamer Silverfown.
with the cable in her hold. is stir float
ing idly on the waters Of san Francisco
Bay. and aboard of her there is keen
disappointment that adverse conditions
made failure of yesterdays attempt
70 lay the FIRST span of cable toward
the new American possessions.
A strong unfavorable tide was the
chief cause OF tho failure of the first
step Of the great undertaking. and
minor casualties marked the efforts OF
the wo-kmen at the shore end. one of
the victims being no less a poreonase
than Clarence n. Mackay. president OF
the Commercial Cable Company. who
was not seriously hurt Fully $1,000
people gathered at the beach. on7-half
OF them school children. To- witness the
BEGINNING of the cable laying. Clarence
Ma'kay and his fellow officers OF the
Commercial Gable Company had two
large tents erected on the sands of
the beach close 20 where the shore con-
uoction was to be made. and there they
entertained their friends as they ar
rived.
The life-saving crew from tho South
Side and the Bathers' Beach station
were on the scene with their surf boats.
ready to lend any assistance that might
be needed in communicating between
the steamer and the shore. The crews
OF these boats, and the crews of two
boats launched from the steamer car
RED a large rope from the Silvertown
to point outside the breakers and
waited there while another boat from
the life saving station came out
through the surf to carry the end of
the rope to the land. The boat. drawn
by horses. came into the surf and the
crew climbed into their places. There
was cheer from the crowd as the men
met the breakers. and that cheer
-'NN 'N' AARi SIS nN team DlOkt
away from the driver, and with the
boat carriage dragging after it. they
plunged into the crowd of people who
had gathered on the beach.
Several children were knocked down
in the scramble To get out of the wav
Of the maddened horses, but the ami
mails were caught before serious injury
had been done. After several ATTEMPTS
the life saving crew succeeded in get
ting ashore hawser, to which was
attached the cable. 4 wait of four and
half hours for water was had before
any attempt was made TO draw the
cable ashore The hawser sagged so
that il was impossible TO draw il
ashore. owing 10 the strong tide. Just
before the attempt was abandoned for
the day several men took hold of the
hawser for final pull. The hawser
new up and struck Clarence Mackav
who was hit on the chin and Knocked
OF his feet. George w. MacNear. of
this city, was struck on the back of
the head and rendered unconscious for
a short time. Frank Hotaling. of New
York, was struck in the face. sustain
ing severe cut
Darkness coming on. the Silvertown
returned to her anchorage in the bay.
Another trial will be made Monday.