The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-06-13
srEAMeoAT,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 tho subject of the
obstructions 10 navigation in the Col
umbia River between the Dalles and
Cello. and devise some method for
overcoming them within reasonable
limits of expense, has at last been
given to the public.
In this project boats are taken from
the river at the foot of the Dalles
rapids, and are returned to tho river
at the head of Cello falls by means of
hydraulic lifts, one at each terminus,
and arc transported over the interme-
date distance little moro than eight
miles in length by boat railway. The
lower lift is designed to raise the boats
68 feet at low water and the upper lift
40 feet. The distances To which the
boats are to be lifted diminish as tho
water rises. The lift Is an adaptation
of the hydraulic dock 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 and one-half inches in in
terror diameter and nineteen feet seven
inches long, weighing 10 tons. In
these arc rams having full stroke of
seventeen feet three inches. They are
placed in two rows, forty-six feet apart,
the rams in each row being twenty
two and one-half feet between centres.
There is a platform OF cradle between
these rows, supported by chains from
the heads Of the rams. The chains are
so arranged over sheeves rs to give
the cradle n 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 hor-
izontal 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
TO the top of the lift this is removed,
and the car on which the boat is to he
transported on the railroad is substi-
tuted.
1t is required of the car that it shall
transport with safety the loaded boat
Or barge. and leave sufficient ilcxibility
to pass over the horizontal and vertical
curves of the road. The maximum
load TO be carried Is estimated ut 600
tons. The platform is 16S feet long by
SO feet wide. The lateral flexibilitv to
enable the car to pass around curves is
obtained by the arrangement of the
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 600 tons, max
ing the total weight of the loaded car
900 tons. The average load per truck
is 27 1-2 tons, and per wheel z tons.
The car. with its load, Is propelled on
the track by two 50-ton ordinary loco
motives.
The boats are l65 feet long and 80
feet beam and D feet draught, weigh
ing with cargo GOO tons. The weight
of the cradle is 1874 tons. The total
weight to be raised in the lift IN 1.45S
tons, and the speed 4 1-2 feet per min
ute
The estimated cost of the whole sys-
tcm, with equipment of two cars and
four engines, capable of passing eight
loads OF Coo tons in each direction in
twelve hours, Including necessary
buildings, and 10 per cent for centin-
gcncics. is 81 600, ,356. Estimate for
improving Three Mile Rapids, S17O,-
600, making an aggregate Of f2s86e,.z
656. 1t is estimated that further Gx-f
penditurc of $4,000 in buildings,
cars, engines and sides tracks, witt
afford the maximum of forty boats
each way in twenty-fo our hours.
The annual cost of maintenance to
pass sixteen boats in twelve hours is css
timated to be $50, 600. and to pass thirty
two in twenty-four hours would. coA
$oU, 700. The estimated time for traiffA
porting one boat from the Da!les d
the head of Ccliio falls is one hour anJs]
half.-forttdtIG Oregontan. ri