The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-09-01

with the operations of the Burnside and
has been in Skagway, Juneau and Fort
Seward ever since until he started on
the return trip to this city. He is
satisfied now that everything is in or
der for the speedy completion of the ca
bic line, and may start for Washington
tomorrow. This is not certain. as he
may decide to remain until the cable is
laid, burt does not now intend to do so.
He said last night:
Il have been absent from my Wash
ington work longer than 1 should al
ready. Another man is doing my work
there as well as his own, and | ought
to get back to relieve him. 1 see no
especial occasion for my remaining
longer on the coast The new lines are
in competent hands, and am not need
ed here"
General Greedy says the burnside has
done remarkable work this summer
She had a difficult task to pick up the
cable where it was left last fall. 1t
was buOyed out 275 miles from Sitka.
Part of it was in bad condition, and the
whole line had to be gone over. Soon
after splicing was made and the work
of laying the line was resumed the ca
Bile broke and the machinery broke also.
The vessel was Obliged to return to
Seattle for repairs, and only left again
for the North last Wednesday. The
end was picked up off Dixon entrance,
and the vessel this morning should be
off the southern end of Queen Charlotte
island. She mad $50 miles of cable on
board when she sailed north, and this
length should bring her within about
100 miles of Cape Flattery. The next
trip will finish the line to Seattle.
The exact length of cable required is
uncertain as the depth of the ocean bot
tom varies. The extra length required
over straight line, General Greedy
says, varies from 10 to Is per cent That
is, it requires from 10 to lis miles of
cable to cover 100 miles of surface dis
lance.
Adverse weather interferes more than
anything else with cable laying. The
Burnside had to contend with rough
weather all through her first trip North
this summer. The present trip has
apparently been attended by the best
climatic conditions. General Greedy says
that at Juneau he was told last Thurs
day that the day was the first summer
gion has been beset with storms OF
wind and rain. As the signs are south
ward he hOUes that she will not be
worried with any serious weather dis
turbances hereafter.
Notwithstanding the stormy weather
the Burnside had very good luck on her
first trip. She spent nine days picking
up the cable already laid, which was
very good time under the conditions
When she goes back for her last trip ii
is hoped that she will have no trouble,
The cable end will be securely anchored
and buoyed and will not have time To
drift any from it's mOOrings and get
tangled up.
The cable end will be left anchored
in order to keep it on the bottom. If it
We're left floating it might get tangled
up with passing vessels, and, worse
still, would be continually twisting. A
loose cable steadily curls up, and if it
twists too much it is liable to get in a
condition which is about as bad for 1t as
collie for an infant. General Greedy
says:
mo harm could result from the ca
b1le's twisting a hundred times or 6
thousand but serious results might
come from twisting ten thousand times
and If it should twist hundred thou
sand times a lot of work would bt
necessary to restore 1t to proper con
1itinY,