The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-11-22

wires, about the size of grandmoth
er's steel knitting-needle, all twist
ed into strands and these into one
large rope. That makes very
strong tow.line, doesn't it9 But
tough as this is, it has stretched
fully sixteen feet by the weight ot
the cars, and has had to be short
ened and re.spliced by skilltul men
just as sailors splice rope; all the
separate strands loOsened and deft
ly tucked away again, so that the
strain will be shared equally by all
A cable like this is estimated tC
last six months, then it must be re
placed by a new one. This is a
very knowing cable. If any wire
strand should break, it would, 10y a
very ingenious device, which | shall
not attempt to explain, telegraph
its own disorder to headquarters,
and there ring an alarm bell, which
would insure it's immediate repair
Every two days the cable must
be freshly coated with tar, to pre-
vents it being too much worn by
the grasping and biting of the iron
Jaws, as the car-driver takes hold
or lets go.
Wire cables are very generally
used nowadays in many ways.
Elevators are run by them, vessels
are partly rugged with them; they
are used for machinery in place of
betting, for tow lines and by tug
boats; and for many purposes they
are both cheaper and better than
hemp rope.
Money was lavishly spent in lay
ing the oad.bed. The projectors,
being wealthy men, members of the
Central Pacific railroad company,
took pride in building something
that would prove "a model road, and
they succeeded. First, a trench
was dug, three feet and half deep
and the same in width, then large
pieces OF railroad iron, bent in the
shape of a V were inserted in it,
about ten feet apart, upon the top
of which were riveted and bolted
the rails-the small "T" rail, such
as in common use by all the steam
roads. These, bear in mind, were
all rivited together, arranged and
leveled, and supported by tempo
rary timbers, in exactly the places
they afterward were to occupy,
then the whole trench was filed to
the top excepting the space left
for the cable to run in) with con
crete and cement. This, harden
ing, the entire mile and half of
road became one long, continued
block of stone, over three feet in
diameter, lying in its earthly bed
as solid as the "eternal hills"
holding in It's stony grasp the ties,
braces and rails. Such road they
claim, can never spread, never sag
nor sink, and scarcely ever will
need repairs, save as the rails wear
out, and are replaced. So much
for doing a thing thoroughly and
well at once, though the first cost
be grcat--in this instance, nearly
eight hundred thousand dollars.
The cars are models of beauty |
aud comfort. A blue cadet-cap is |
worn by the employees, and though |
no talking is allowed with the dri.
yer, a smiling conductor makes up
for this loss by standing ready to
answer questions at the rate, |
should say from brief observa-
ton, of about ten thousand a day,
more or less. . ......,.
One feature of the sitting accom-
modations is that IL low rail, about
an inch high, dividing each seat
from the next just high enough to
make it uncomfortable to sit upon;
gently limiting to those inclined to
crowd their fellows that seat was
for one only. The cars
are built so low that the feet of
are but twelve inches
above the street they are travelling,
thus giving that charm one expe-
Iiences when sailing in low skitf,
close to the water, but which is lost
on the high deck of steamboat.
As we ride along, a daintily
gloved finger halls the driver, from
the sidewalk, and our car comes in
stantly and quietly to stand still,
while the gentle maiden mounts the
ow step and comfortably seats her
self; then, at the bell.signal from
the conductor, the sturdy driver
grasps his lever, clamps down his
ron brace graphing the cable, and
again we are off, with far less jar ;
,nd jerk than we receive in horse
,ar. Over the hills we go, through
, fine broad street, views all about,
If shining bay, busy city, and flow
'r-clad mountain. past beautiful
private residences kept with neat
less and care peculiar to the front
-ards of the San Franciscans.
Jallas bloom luxuriantly among
,alm-trees, and snowy flowers in
he gardens regale the eye the :
he year round; and in the summer +.
eason the traveller fills his lungs !,
With an air, the purest possible,
coming fresh and bracing from the
parking ocean, laden with the ,,
'erfume of acres of blue and yell
ow wild Lupin.
This style of railroad is becom- !
ng very popular in San Francisco, !
here there are already three such '
ines in successful operation and