TE AROHA. THE AERIAL TRAMWAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 396, 24 August 1889, Page 2

TE AROHA. THE AERIAL TRAMWAY.

Champion G. and S. Mines, Tui :—: — Now that the aerial tramway for the Champion G. mid S. Mines, Tui, is almost completed, a short description with respect thereto will prore of interest to many of oar readers locally, and also to those at a distance. The engineering for the erootion of this tmm way was undoj taken by Mr R. J. Johnson, of Groy month, who is well knnwn ft 9 a mining engineer ; rnoi'P pspocially in connection with ruining ' p.Tiil.ioiH on the West Ooasfe ot New ZiMland. t Some seven years ago Mr Johnson pree.ted an aerial tramway for the Glo c Quartz Mining Company, Reeffon, ami las' summer nnothor for the William Tell Qiurta Mining Com- j p my, at Ross, both of which we believp iiave woiked admirably, giving the t'lvntpst satisfaction since (heir eivction up to the prpsont time ; and both were coiusti ucted on pveciselytho samo principle

as that for the Champion Company. All the preliminary pot-lions of the work, puch fs clearing the bush, the erection of the trestles, etc., wis let locally. The total length of the line is about 1^ miles. The rope used is made of plough steel (imports from London), total length, 16,600 feet. It is two inches in circumference, and weighs about 4£ tons. Tl»e ropn runs upon what are termed 'sheaves,' a kind of pulley, fixed on the top of the trestles, i The trestles, twelve in number, are each 30 feet high, and constructed of best heart, of kauri, very strongly braced. At either end the rope travels round on whut is known a3 the terminal ' sheavp' which is 10ft in diameter (something after the form of a huge wheel, with wrought iron spokes, and the grooves being cast iron ). Theie is a direct fall from the upper to the lower terminal of 1,700 feet, and gravity is the motive power ; the weight of the full buckets as t'.iey descend, drafting up the empty buckets ; in fact it is in this respect on exactly the same principle as a self-acting grade on a ground tramway. The quartz is carried in buckets, of which there will be 80 altogether, bur. at the start only about 58 will be attached. These buckets (or, more correctly speaking, circular bottom ' skips ') are made of sheet steel, | inch thick, rivetted together, and are bow shaped, each 13^ inches deep, 18 inches wide, and 20 inches long. The buckets were constructed by Messrs Fairweather, of Auckland, from plans provided by Mr Johnson, and will carry about 200 pounds weight of ordinary quartz each. The 'skips' have each an iron bow handle, and these handles, or bows, are attached to the wire rope by means of what are termed «oUps.* At both the upper and lower end of the tramway are paddocks for the quarts as it comeg i from the mine, and as discharged from the skip when the tramway is at work. The mode of working is simple in the extreme, although not easily described in words, without the aid of a plan. At the 1 upper end of the tramline, on one aide of the ' terminal,' an overhead oval-shaped tramway is erected, resting an trestlee, and 20 feet in length ; on which travels what is known *s the filling skip. This skip runs ronnd and under the shoot of the 1 popper (connecting wth the paddock of quartz), -where it « filled, and Is then jpas,sed rrouncl to the side of the terminal, ! and there awaits the .arrival o£ the empty tram skips. Each tram skip as it travels pound, takes hold of the full skip by means of an automatic arrangement, and both travel together the length of the over head i*am, l,e.> 20 feet, during which transit the load of quartz is transferred from the one skip to the other by an automatic anangement. On reaching the and of the overhead tramway, the filling skip is released, the tull j skip proceeding on its journey to the terminal, where it discharges its load by being made to revolve on its axis. As soon as tho filling skip has been released it is run back by a boy to be re-fllled at the shoot, ready for the next tram skip, and so tho process is repeated. Both the bottom and top terminals are , supplied with band breaks, and a man (to work the breaks), and a boy (to attend the skips), can run the whole affair. The tram when at work travels at about the rate of five miles an hour. About half the required number of buckets have already been attached, but owing to the wetcloudy weather for somedays past the completion of the work has had to be | temporarily suspended, as when the work is progressing, signals, by means of flasrs, hare to be exchanged between those working at the upper and lower terminals. Should the weather permit, Mr Johnson expects to have the whole line adjusted by the end of next week. As »n experiment, already a few loaded buckets have been sent over the line, which worked most satisfactorily.

THAMES. At the Warden's Court, Thursday, before H. W. Northcroft, Esq., Warden, the following wero amongst the applications dealt with :— James Madden, Maddens Folly, adjourned to sth September ; W. Brooke, Gladstone, granted; Davis and McWilliams, Hong Kong, adjourned to sth September ; J. W. Walker, water— race, adjourned to 9th September ; John Hart, residence site, adjourned to 19th September ; Ellen Brooks, do., granted ; Wm. Brooks, do., granted ; Joseph Wood, residence site, granted ; Marion LittleJohn, residence site, granted. An application was made for four months' protection for the Goldwater claim at Whangamata. Mr Miller, solicitor, who appeared for the applicants, said that about £1000 had been expended on the property, and an effort was now being made by Mr Young, of Auckland, to obtain a plant, which it was estimated would save 85 per cent of the bullion in the ore. Evidence having been given by M. Kelly, the Warden granted the application. Upon the application of Mr Miller, on behalf of the Waihi G.M, Co., four months' protection was granted to the Thistle and Walker's special claims at W«ihi. In the cours 3 of his lerniirlcs in support; of the application, Mr Miller mentioned that there were upwards of 100 men drawing wages from the Waihi Company.

The faimer is moie tempted to run into debt than tmyothormnn because de.ilers are so reudy to trust liiiti ; his farm is n tfood basis of security, and it is property that cannot bo hidden or carried away. The f.irnier, then; fora, may not alone pray load mo not into temptation, but must conclude in his own mind, and by the exeicide of his own fiee will, that he will not be so lead. Theie is no freedom on oarth equal to that of a i\uinrr in this country who owns his own land and is out of debt.