THE GASWORKS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13520, 31 October 1911, Page 3

THE GASWORKS.

ALTERATIONS AND IMPROVEj M ENT'S. The New Aerial System. Thinking that the, .numerous alterations and improvements, now in progress at the local Gasworks might prove of interest, a “Herald” representative .yesterday made a trip to the works, and,"'thanks to the courtesy of the manager, Mr G. D. Stone, was taken on a- tour of inspection. The aerial rope—or “overhead system” as it is popularly termed—is, of course the chief item of interest.' It is now rapidly approaching completion, and even to the layman's eye the magnitude of the task which has been attempted is clearly apparent. ' ■

The difficulties that have been overcome are deserving of a separate paragraph. First, it has been found necessary to build an entirely new wharf—this in itself was. an item involving the expenditure, of some ■£ 1100—the town structure being ah together ,' out of the . question; then the railway yard had to be crossed; and, lash ly, Hie road. To meet the latter contingency, what is technically,,termed a “safety bridge”' has been erected, and thebuckets will pass over this, passers-by being thus protected from any possible danger from falling pieces of coal. The buckets, which have a capacity of halfya ton, run. on an endless wire cable, which conveys - them from the ship’s hold direct to the coal, .store, where they arcautomatically tipped, and run back to the, wharf for another load. There are two cablfcs—one travelling and the other carrying—the former being kept taut, by two : five-ton weights, By an ingenious arrangement, the tipping apparatus is adjustable, and, the coal may thus be deposited in any particular spot in the storeroom, doing away with the, necessity for spreading, afterwards.

Coming on ,to the wharf, oue cannot fail to be impressed with the numerous labour-saving devices. -The coal is swung out pf the vessel’s hold in the usual manner into two hoppers, one of which is stationary and the other travelling, each of which have a-capacity of eight tons, and-is then shot into the buckets by the pulling of a lever. The buckets are pushed round an overhead shunting rail, clamped on to the cable by the turning of another lever, and despatched on their aerial journey of some 500 ft into the storeroom, each load having first been automatically weighed by a- machine so human-like that not only is the exact weight recorded .on a printed ticket, but the tare is also deducted. It is a triumph of mechanism, and so smoothly-running are the working parti that a 12-horsc .power gas-engine provides more than sufficient power for the haulage. The advantages of the “aerial rope’.’ over, the present system of horse cartage may be briefly sumrped up. For a cart to load af the wharf and bring the coal up to the works takes the best part of half an Hour. The coal has then to he tipped on to the heap and spread. Working at full pressure, it is only possible to work some 170 tons a day, and slie average cost per ton carted is Is 9d. Oil the other hand, the bucket does the trio from ship’s hold to coal store in something under four minutes, and 40 tons per hour is a safe estimate for the aerial system—double what the present method is capable of; while, under the new order of things, it will be . possible to fill the store-room to its utmost capacity, which has never been possible while the carts had to bo got inside. To provide for Ibis, the roof of the store has been made higher and the walls strengthened. It is expected that-a saving of at least 6d per ton will be, made, while it will be possible to , keep, from five to six months’ supply of coal on hand, instead of only sufficient for; about ten weeks, as is the case at present. The system: should" be in working order in about three weeks’. time. The contractors for- the material are Messrs R. Demps’ter and Son* Elland, England, and the totiSh-cost will be something over .£3OOO.