THE FERNHILL COALMINE AND AERIAL RAILWAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5638, 25 April 1879, Page 3

THE FERNHILL COALMINE AND AERIAL RAILWAY.

Mr. Oliver Wakefield, Under-Secretary for Goldfields and Mines, during his recent official trip to Otago, visited the Fern Hill Company’s Coalmine and Alrial Railway, and he thus graphically describes these works : The mine is situated at Green Island, and is seven miles by rail from Dunedin. The engine working the “mrial railway” is stationed upon a siding from the main line, the mine being three-quarters of a mile off on the other side of a steep bill, and an equally deep gully. The serial railway consists of an endless wire rope working round two grooved horizontal wheels, one being fixed near the engine at one end, and one at the mouth of the mint at the other, something after the principle of the steam plough. To the wire rope are suspended the iron baskets, which work all round with the rope (which is supported at intervals by tressels), so that the full baskets come round to the engine adjoining the railway line, where they can be at once capsized into the trucks, while the empty ones are returning to the mine, and so on continuously as quickly as the baskets can be filled with coal.

This ingenious contrivance was invented and patented by Mr. Haworth, solicitor, and Mr. Alves, of Dunedin, and its chief merit consists in the construction of the “ clip” by which the baskets are held to the wire rope so as to enable them to work perfectly smoothly over the tressels and round the wheels at either end. The whole machine is of such light construction, so noiseless, and simple, that to a casual observer it appears a mere toy or model, but in reality it is a most effective labor-saving appliance which is daily proved by practical results, and the inventors at present consider that nothing would be gained by using heavier materials and larger baskets, as the increase in cost of construction and wear and tear would not be met by corresponding effective power. The manager, Mr. John Shaw, has such confidence in the machine that he frequently rides over from the engine to the mine and back in one of the baskets, although to most people of ordinary nerves the feat would appear almost appalling, the distance from the ground in the lowest part of the gully being between 200 and 300 feet, and the basket apparently hanging by next to nothing to secure it ; but Mr. Shaw is under no sort of apprehension that it can possibly become detached. The mine has only been worked for a few months, and there are about thirty men employed. The coal is oven now of fairly good, although not yet by any means of the best, quality. It, however, burns steadily, and throws out good heat in an ordinary grate, and it is delivered in Dunedin at a very low price.