The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-06-13
srEAMeoAr,Nc ON DRY LAND.
eight Miles OF Their Regular Trips to- Be
Made on Iron Rails.

The long expected report OF the
Board OF Government Engineer Officers
that was to consider the subject of the
distractions TO navigation in the Col
umbia River, between the DalIeS and
Cello, and devise some method Tor
overcoming them within reasonable
limits Of expense has at last been
given to tho public.
In this project boats are taken from
the river at tho foot of the Dallcs
rapids, and are returned to tho river
at the head of Cello falls by means of
hydraulic lifts, one ut each terminus,
and are Transported over the intcrme-
diate distance little more than eight
miles in length by n boat railway. The
lower lift is designed to raise the boats
68 feet at low water and the upper lift
40 feet. The distances 10 which the
boats arc to be lifted diminish rs tho
water rises. The lift Is an adaptation
of the hydraul' lock in use for some
years at the Union Iron Works in San
Francisco. The process is, therefore,
not experimental. The lower lift con-
sists of sixteen cast-iron cylinders, each
thirty-one aud onc-half inches in in
terror diameter and nineteen feet seven
inches long, Weighing 10 tons. In
these are rams having Il full stroke Of
seventeen feet three inches. They are
placed in two rows, fortv-six feet apart,
the rams in each row being twenty
two and onc-half feet between centres.
There is u platform OF cradle between
these rows, supported by chains from
the heads of tho rams. The chains arc
so arranged over shccvcs AZ to give
the cradle speed and movement four
times that of the rams. A device for
regulating the admission of the water
Of the rams as TO maintain them at
uniform speed and the cradle in u hOr-
iEontal position, Notwithstanding any
difference in the load on several rams.
The cradle is placed under the boat
while in the water. After it is raised
10 the top of the lift this is removed,
and the car on which the boat il TO be
transported on the railroad is substi-
tutcd.
IL is required of the car that it shall
transport with safety the loaded boat
~ barge, and leave sufficient ilcXibility
10 pass over the horizontal and vertical
curves of the road. The maximum
load to he carried Is estimated ut 600
tons. The platform is lGS feet long by
3S feet wide. The lateral feasibility to
enable the car to pass around curves is
obtained by the arrangement of tho
trucks. There arc thirty-four four
wheeled trucks placed in two lines of
seventeen each.
The weight of the car is 500 tons.
The maximum weight is GOO tons, max
ing the total weight of the loaded car
900 tons. The average load per truck
is ~ l-2 tons and per wheel tons.
Tho car. with its load, Is propelled on
the track by two 50-ton ordinary loco
motives.
The boats are lG5 feet long and S8
feet beam and > feet dranght, weigh
ing with cargo GOO tons. The weight
OF the cradle is Isl tons The total
weight to be raised in the Eft IN 1,45S
tons. and the speed l2 feet per min
ute. .
The estimated cost OF tho whole syS-
ten, with equipment of two ears and
four engines, capable Of passing eight
loads OF COO tons IN each direction in
twelve hours. Including necessary
buildings, and lOpcr cent for contin-
gcncics, i 81 600. $50. Estimate for
Improving Three Mile Rapids. $40
COO making m aggregate Of sf2SSGo,. =,
65G. 1t ia estimated thnt further Gx-
penditurc of $4,000 in buildings,
cars, engines and sides tracks, will
afford the maximum of forty boats
each way in twcnty-four hours.
The annual cost of maintenance TO
pass sixteen boats in twelve hours is css
timatcd to be $50. 600. and to pass thirty
two in twnnty-four hours would. coS$
SJU. 900. The estimated time for t:RiftA
porting one boat from the Dn!lcs to
II,.,L 3 4 i Z, 4 4
q half. - inrGln1Hi Oyryonidn. Il