Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-03
CABLE FLASHES
Continued from page ~

escorted 10 the wharf where great
crowd awaited.
The engineer in charge of the expe-
dition intended to take on board 100c
tons of coal as ballast and await favor
able weather to return and pick UP
the sea end of the cable and, bringing
it close in shore, buoy it. The shore
end was then to be paid out and the
final connection was to be made at
that point. Saturday brought no i'm.
provement in the weather conditions.
The winds blew hard from the north
east and craft arriving through the
channel reported THAT the sea was very
rough.
1t was then decided to do nothing
that day but wait until Sunday morn
ing, Dec. 2S. The vessel had not pro-
ceeded mile from the dock that day
when the full force of a gale from be-
hind the high hills struck her. The
skipper decided not to go outside to
pick up the buoy in the channel was
quite impossible 1t was then deter
mined to lay the shore end while the
conditions We're favorable on that side
of the island. The Silvertown went
in shore within half mile of the coral
reef and preparations were made on
her to haul line ashore.
One hour and five minutes from the
time the line left the Silvertown the
cable was hauled up on the soil of
San Souci park amid the shouts of
thousands and the strains of band
playing a cable march dedicated to
President Macay. Just as the cable
c1, n hoo ,l><1
up and rain fell upon the gaily at
tired multitude, but the wetting was
ignored in the .eagerness to catch
glimpse of the line that is to connect
Hawaii with the rest of the world
There was no official ceremony at the
time, further than the laying of lei
or native wreath upon the end of the
cable by Mrs. HAYES, who repeated
the customary native greeting Aloha
The Silvertown remained at anchor
holding to the line until noon, Monday,
Dec. %. when she moved out upon the
course prescribed by the chart in pay
ing OF the cable. Six miles were laid
to point off Koko Head. Here rough
seas were encountered and the line was
buoyed. trip was Immediately made
to Molokai channel to find whether
or not the buoy had weathered the buff
feting to which it had been subjected
for nearly three days.
Fortunately no reverse had occurred.
The buoy was riding the water in safe
ty. but the marked buoy. which had
been dropped near it on Friday, Dec
26. had disappeared. The seas were
running even higher than three days
s,V.o =
Their work could be attempted until the
wind abated and the seas became calm.
On Thursday, the first day of the new
year, scarcely 4 breeze stirred the wa
ter OF the harbor and advices came to
the ship from Diamond Head light
house that the channel was quite calm,
with only a moderate swell running.
A few minutes after o'clock in the
morning, the Silvertown heaved anchor
and started down the bay. The pros
pect that the cable would be connected
on. the first day of the new year Great
ed intense interest in the city, where
the enthusiasm and been somewhat
blunted by the long delay. -
At daylight the Silvertown arrived
off koko Head. where the shore end had
been buoyed since Monday With little
difficulty the line from the bottom was
spliced on deck and passed over the
stern sheaves. A start was then made
from the outer buoy. Great care was
taken in handling the vessel while TAX
ing up the buoy. 1t was finally accom-.
plished at 3.44 o'clock, without unto
ward incident. yi
. The connection with the testing was
quickly made. and San Francisco re-
sponded promptly to the call. Congrat-
ulations and the compliments of the
season passed between the ship and the
shore. s,1fy
Connection was then made at 404 be-
tween the two lines and Honolulu by
the ship. Four hours were spent in
testing and allowing the recently. laid
line to acquire the temperature of the
ocean depths. At $40 P. M, Honolulu
time. came the first call from San Fran
cisco.