Wire Tramways.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 112, 2 January 1872, Page 7

Wire Tramways.

In rugged and mountainous mining districts such a i the Carrick Range, the rapid and economic conveyance of auriferous quartz from the mines to the crushing mills is a matter of great importance to the successful sources. Wo therefore commend to those interested a careful perusal of the subjoined particulars relative to wire tramways, and the mode of constructing and working the same : Amongst the useful and interesting exhibits at the Mechanics' Fair, recently held at San Francisco, was Professor Hallidie's patent endless ropeway. It was shown ir. operation, the cars running up and down the building. Its object is to transport ore from mines to mills, or tc some available point of transportation, and can be utilised There roads or tramways would be too expensive to build. It is used in connection with several mines in California, and modifications of it have been used in various parts of the world. "It is (says the Weekly Altd) of course infinitely cheaper to erect this ropeway than to build the most narrow of narrow-gauge railroads ; and mine-owner 3 and miners, when they inspect it, will at once perceive its merits, as the transportation question is of",en one of the most vital importance in mining questions. It may be thus briefly described : —At each extremity of the line are placed large grooved pulleys, called ' end pulleyi'; o.long the line at intervals of from one to six hundred feet, upon the summits of the hils or mountain ranges, upon each bank of Hie rivers or the deep ravines, stand posts, jist as post 3 are placed for supporting the tae graphic line ; attached to these posts, andat right angles to the line, are transverse b=rs or arms, to the extremities of which smdl grooved pulleys are fixed, called ' bearhg pulleys'. An endless wire rone passes aloig on each side from post to post, resting in flie J grooves of the bearing pulleys, and passing I around the end pulleys. Along the rope, at j suitible distances, are secured pend'iit, j curved rod 3, clinging to or attached to or resting upon the rope, and curving or reselling up or out over the edge 3 of the grooves of the pulleys, and swinging or passing dear of the flanges and axles and all other obstructions, and sustaining or carrying can or 1 tuckets or sacks, loaded with passengers or ores or other freight, or terminating in hooka carrying bundles of lumber. The gravity of the load—a mountain-stream, a mule, >r a steam-engine may furnish the propelling power, and cause to move the endless rope with its endless chain of cars, over mourtain heights and deep ravines, —over rivers too wide and deep to bridge, and ravinei or gorges too wide and deep to fill, —receding and discharging, automatically or otherwise, a continuous stream of freight ; possibly receiving the ore at the innermost and uttermost depth of the mine, and carrying it over intervening mountains and valleys, aid discharging it, automatically, miles awiy, into the very hopper of the crushing machine at the mill. In connection with the same apparatus, a self-dumping bucket can be used, which, by striking a stop at a given point, releases the bottom and dumps out the ore. The rope travels at the rate of 200 feet per minute ; the posts with the bearing pulleys are usually about 200 feet apart, the distance depending upon circumstances. At least 180 tons per day of ten hours can be delivered, but, practically, there is no limit, as the rope-way can be made of any required strength." Mr Hodson, the inventor of the wire rope tramway in England, a short time since erected a line about five miles in length at Bristol, and some particulars have been furnished by a recent publication. There are, in the five miles, 112 posts, or standards, as they are called. These can be either made of iron or wood, as found most convenient. The endless rope is made of charcoal iron, is two inches in circumference, each strand, as well as the centre of the rope, having a hempen core to secure ductility. A portablo 16-horse power engine is employed to drive the rope. Water or horse power may be used. At one end of the line the rope passes round a drum. The boxes in which the load is carried are hung on the rope at the loading end by a wooden saddle, about fourteen inches long, lined with leather, and having four small wheels, with a curved pendant, which maintains the box in perfect equilibrium while travelling, and most ingeniously, but simply, enables it to pass the supporting posts and pulley. By a slidingring arrangement, the boxes or buckets are easily emptied by tilting, without unshipping the saddle from the rope. The boxes can be made to carry from 1 cwt. to 10 cwt., and the proportions of the line and the loading and discharging arrangements can be varied to suit any particular requirement, ranging from 10 tons to 1000 tons nor diem. At each end of the line arc rails placed to cateh the small wheels attached to the saddles of the boxes, by which means the weight, having acquired momentum, is lifted from the rone, and, thus suspended from a fixed rail or platform, can be run to any point for loading or emptying, and again run on to the rope the succession being continuous, and the rone never requiring to be stopped for loading and unloading. Curves of sharp radius are casilv passed, as well as steep inclines, and it is applicable for crossing river 3, streams, mountains, or hilly districts. The rope being continuous, no power is lost on undulating ground, as the descending loads help those ascending. In the case of lines for heavy frame, where a series of loads, necessarily.not less than 5 cwt. to 10 cwt. each, must be car-

ried, a pair of stationary supporting ropes, with an endless running rope for the motive power, will be employed ; but the method of supporting and the peculiar advantage of crossing almost any nature of country with a goods line without much mere engineering wor.i or space than is necessary for fixing an electric telegraph,—without bridges, without embankments, and without masonry,—exists equally in both branches of the system. In laying out the five miles at Brighton, the opportunity was taken of exemplifying the working of the system under every variety of difficulty that can possibly present itself. Thus there was at one part an incline of 1 in 6, up and down which it is said that the rone and boxe3 worked with perfect facility, the descending weights assisting those which were ascending ; then there were, besides several bends less acute, two instances of absolutely right angles, which were passed with the greatest ease ; in some instances the standards were carried to the height of 70 feet, to meet inequalities of the ground, undulating and hilly country being more trying to this system than craggy and mountainous. The line was found to be capable of delivering 210 tons per day of ten hours—that is 120°tou3 in each direction. We are indebted to a contemporary for the following particulars relative to the prospectus of the Wire Tramway Company, in London, for the purpose of preparing surveys, and executing contracts for wire tramways in all parts of the world :—Lines can be constructed and worked on hillyground, almost as cheaniy as upon plains. Their first cost is in proportion to the work required of them. They occupy scarcely any land, only requiring a post every 200 or 300 feet. They are not aTected as others are by floods or snow. They can be readily moved from place to place. They avoid the expense of cuttings and embankments. No bridges are required over rivers or ravines. They make most economical jetties for roadsteads, harbours, or rivers. They can be constructed at prices ranging from £250 to £BOO a mile for the carriage of from 20,000 to 100,000 tons per annum. Their cost of working mav be generally stated thus, under average conditions, for ten mile lengths, viz. :—IOO tons a day, If d ; 200 tons a dav, id per ton per mile.