The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-07-01
MisrGll y II Z 1t g
SKY RAILWAY.

If Mr.. Hodgson's plans respecting over
head tramways should be carried out, we
may some day see heavy loads dancing
along above us, suspended from above, in
stead OF supported underneath. Indeed if
we go on much longer at our present rate,
some such aid will be very necessary. Our
regular railways--the costly works on
which locomotives run-are cutting up
more and more fields every year, intersect.
ing more and more our busy towns and
cities, dlslocatlng more and more our roads
and streets, and jostling more and more
our s-pipes, water-pipes, and sewers un-
derground. The balloonists, it is true,
have failed to establish passenger traffic
over our heads; but in an humber way, at
a low rate of speed, with loads of inert
merchandise instead of living men, and
with occasional support from the earth on
upright poles-why should there not be
some kind of line, rail, tramway, rope, or
chain overhead, along which burdens may
be conveyed
Uncivilized or half people have
effected something of the kind ages ago.
Many river or narrow valley, or ravine
has had rope stretched over it, by means
ofwhich loads could be carried across; and
now that wire-rope presents so many adj
vantages over hempen cord, such contri-
vances are becoming more and more useful
and available. They are managed in va
rious ways. In one form, there is a single
rope stretched with slight incline, so as
to enable sack or basket suspended from
u pulley to run by its own descensive force
from the loading-point to the terminus in
this case, hand-hauling, or other kind OF
power, is not necessary to draw in the re-
verse direction, seeing that the bag OF
basket is sent on with its contents to mar
kets or to its destination. In another plan
there are two parallel ropes both inclinine
from one end to the other; box ig huno
upon each rope the descent of one box Is
made to draw up the other by means of O
light rope passing round drum at the
head of the incline. Any one who
has seen mining operations on the slope OF
q hill will easily understand this arrange
ment, making allowance for the fact that
II one case the boxes rest on tramway
whereas in the other they are suspended
from rope. In third plan, suitable
when the ropes are horizontal instead Of
inclined, the light subsid diary rope is carried
| loNlltt wv SuellC C4lSult3 anu ~ u1lNPA ny
manual or other power applied to the drum
at the extremity there is here no descen,
sive force due to gravity, In fourth plan
the two parallel ropes are attached to the
ends of a swing beam, so that they can be
alternately raised and lowered--each in
turn becoming an ascending and then de.
scending rope; the loaded box on each
runs backwards and forwards by the diff
ference of level thus obtained. 1t we are
right in our Court Intelligence" the do.
mestics at Abergeldie Castle have occasion
ally made use of some such contrivanceE
as those, to draw over baskets of provis
ions and other market commodities to thu
castle-thereby saving wm vic detour to {
Iii bridge 1 winch crosses the Dee at some dis
lance.
But in all the humber attempts of thi
kind, the distance is short, so as to avoic
the necessity of having any intermediate
support for the rope. Once let there b.
such u support needed, and it will be s
puzzle to know how to manage the matter
seeing that the load, when suspended
would naturally find the pole or supper
an obstruction to free passage. Mr.. Hodg
son, when he took up this matter two o
three years ago, at once saw that until thi
particular difficulty is surmountcd, NJ
great extension Of the system could b.