The Hawaiian gazette., 1886-03-09

A new system of transport for field or other pro-
duce by means of an overhead railway with cleo
trlclty as the motive power has received the name
OF IEIPHERAGE, has been for some months sue
cessfully worked in England. seems admirably
adapted to the needs of our planters Mr.. W. L.
Green has been appointed agent for this kingdom.
The following account of this new departure in
technology Is condensed from an article in
-.Ftr'e, published III England on November 9Th,
ioeo, describing the opening of the first Telpher
Telpherase has been defined as the transmission
oil goods aud passengers by means of electricity
without driver, guard. signalmen, or attendants.
The line opened on October 18th, is nearly a
mile long, and is composed of double set of steel
rods each GO feet long, threefourths of an inch in
diameter, aud eight feet apart, supported on
wooden posts standing about Is feet above the
ground, and is now regularly delivering clay at a
railway station mile distant from the clay pits
ut minimum rate of 10 tons per train per week,
and 70 trains can be run on the line without fear
OF collision as an absolute automatic block is pro-
vlded, and the trains are governed automatically
SO as TO run up or down an incline at the same
speed.
The clay is delivered at the railway station,
where II IS tipped into the railway cars at price
OF 10 cents per ton. The first train was composed
as follows:
About the middle OF the train is the electric To-
comotlye there arc 10 sleeps or buckets which hang
by their travelling wheels from the steel line Each
Sk5D weighs l0l pounds, and carries $50 to 800
pounds of clay, and by distributing these evenly
AM somewhat widely apart the strain on the steel
line IS SMALL although the total weight of train
and clay Is about two tons. Only two electric
horsepower are necessary to be furnished at the
engine house to propel the train at the rate of five
miles an hour.
Tho Sussex Portland Cement Company decided
TO adopt this method of transport, as any road or
tramway would have seriously interfered with az.
ricultural work carried on III the fields between
the clay pits and the railway station aud more
over these fields are under water during part of
the winter
The train is under the control of one workman
who by touching u key can start, stop, or reverse
the train at will.
1t Is estimated that a line similar to that de-
scribed above may be erected at short notice for
total cost in England, of 81 200 including engine
dynamo, permanent way, and five trains, with To-
conceive to carry 100 tons daily; the working e1-
penses, Including coal, attendance aud deprecia.
ton, being less than 3D., (6 cents) per ton per
mile upon material carried.
double line such this, but ten miles long
worked heavily, would carry material for I'd. per
ton per mile. Some of the advantages claimed
for this system are as follows:
The facility with which such line can be run
up and carried over uneven ground or across
streams, high fences and deep bitches where an
ordinary railway would involve serious expense.
1t does not impede, as any form of railway does,
the ordinary agricultural operations
special advantage is the ease with which the
trains can 90 round sharp curves without loss of
power, since electricity having no momentum suf-
fers no loss II going around n corner, whereas
with the overhead wire-haulsge system there is
considerable friction, and great wear and tear of
the running wire-ropes where they 60 round sharp
curves.
The Telphcraae Company state that they can do
cheaply the work of horses and carts, light tram
ways and the wire-hauage system, and this they
seem TO have accomplished