Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-03

the bottom OF the. sea IN any except Cain
weather. 1t was reasoned that another DAY
would see the end of''the period Of the
northeast trades, the duration OF which
surprised even the Oldest residents OF
Honolulu.
storm Finally Subsidies.
On Thursday, the first day of the new
year, scarcely a breeze stirred the waters
Of the harbor, and advice came to the ship
from the Diamond Head lighthouse that the
channel was quite calm, with only mod
crate swell running.
A few minutes after o'clock in the
morning Silvertown heaved anchor and
made a start down the bay. Prospects of
the cable connection on the first day Of the
new year created intense interest in the
city, where the enthusiasm had been some
what dulled by the long delay.
At daylight Silvertown arrived OFF Koko
head, where the shore end had been buoyed
since Monday. with little difnculty the
line from the bottom was spliced up on
deck and passed over the stern sheaves,
and a start was made for the other buoy.
The cable was paid out at the rate of
seven knots an hour. shortly after
/ O'Clock in the afternoon Silvertown reached
the point where the San Francisco end was
buoyed The sea was not rough, but the
swell rolled the vessel considerably.
Great care was taken in handling II
while taking up the buoy. 1t was finally
accomplished at 3:44 o'clock without un-
toward incident. The connection with the
testing room was quickly made and San
Francisco responded to the call, thus re-
! lieving the public mind Of the continent
which must have regarded the long silence
of the ship as strange. II not ominous.
The voyage of silvertown was eventful
and at times unpleasantly exciting. Twelve
hours out from San Francisco the cable
ship was beset by bad weather, which con-
tinued, with the exception Of one day, tc
| the end OF the voyage. Variable winds
that at times approached the velocity oi
gales and heavy seas that buffeted 1t about
retarded the progress as we'll as endan'
! gered the safety OF the cable. In fact
every adverse condition that is usually en-
| countered in the laying Of cable was me
with and at times made the task mos
| hazardous one.
squaII Causes Trouble.
| more perfect day could hardly be i'm
agined than Sunday December IA, when thu
shore end was landed near the cliffhoust
/ of San Francisco. The line Of the shore
end was brought on board the steamer a
s 80 in the evening and the start was mad
at 1880 on Monday morning. The favor
able conditions continued until IL o'clocl
on the morning OF that day, when the yes
sci ran into a squall OF wind and rain tina
came out Of the west.
Steering through southwesterly course
Silyertown offered a broad starboard bean
to the storm. Soon the seas were whippet
into confusion, rolling, the vessel In man
ner most dangerous to the esble. Tn
velocity Of the wind increased and early II
the afternoon great green seas boarded tn
starboard bow and swept along the dec
aud escaped into the sea through the por
scuppers.
Toward evening ropes were stretches
abeut the deck and everything was mad
fast. The rain ceased, but the storm con
tlnued with undated force throughout tn
night These were anxious hours for thos
in charge for the safety Of the cable.
Two courses were open to them-oithe
keep on the true course or cut and buoy tn
line Both we're fraught with great dan
ger A deviation from the course was oh
vlously out Of the question, as much fo
the reason that such action would not hay
lessened the strain upon the cable and th
more important consideration of the vast
Of time and the danger Of getting into ur
known depths. To cut and buoy the cab
would have been equally dangerous. Eve
, one of the great buoys carried for Just sue
emergencies could scarcely have Weather'