The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-25
THE USES OF CABLES.
REMARkA6lE TENSILE STRENGTH
OF IRt)N AND STEEL WIRE.
IhTisted Together 1t Makes the Strong
est Rope in the World and 1t Has
Helped Immensely in the Present In
dustrial Development.
LspeciaI Correspondence.l

Helped Immensely in the Present In
dustrial Development.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK.. March 14.-It was many
years ago discovered and proclaimed abroad
by scientists that iron wire had the great
known. Like many other scientific
truths" Of the last generation, this is no
longer true. Nevertheless it served as q
basis for most remarkable development
of practical engineering in many different
ways. 1t took no great ingenuity to dis
cover that if one iron wire would sustain
a given weight or stand given strain,
two or more iron wires twisted together
would perform a greater service proper
tlonate to the number of wires and the skill
with which they were twisted.
From these two propositions came the
enormous business now done in the manu-
facture and use Of wire ropes and cables
1t is true that steel wire is now made of
much greater strength than the best iron
wire, so that s. el wire cable can be
made from 60 to IS per cent. stronger than
any iron wire cable, but the principle and
the basis are unchanged
Today thousands-probably hundreds of
thousands-of miles of wire ropes and
cables are in constant use all over the
civilized world, and tens of thousands of
miles are made yearly to renew those that
die and to answer the new demands Their
uses are manifold, but few principal uses
of the larger kinds-the cables-are inter
esting. In the first place, as probably
having attracted the widest attention,
come the cables that are used for the trans
mission of electricity for long distances.
The laying of the first Geographic cable
under the Atlantic ocean was a distinct
step in civilization, recognized by govern
ments, noted by historians and celebrated
by poets. Today new cable under new
ocean hardly attracts attention, so COM
mon has the business grown. Moreover,
insulated cables are used underground ev
erywhere for the telegraph and telephone.
The electric cables, however, are con-
structed on "a different principle from that
spoken of at first. Only enough strength
is required to Withstand comparatively
slight strains. The cables Of strength are
used mainly for three purposes-the sup
port of heavy weights, such as suspension
bridges; the pulling of cars, either for
freight or passengers, and the transmission
of power.
Unquestionably the most notable instance
of the first of the three purposes is that of
the New York and Brooklyn bridge,
structure so often described as to require
only a mention here. IL is well known
that the entire weight of this structure is
sustained by four cables of steel wire, and
that the roadways, railroad footpath and
lrIVaS SnGnpndad from theSa
main cables by means of hundreds of
smaller ones.
The construction of these main cables
onel John A. Roebling, and occurred at the
place where the cables were to be used, the
transportation of so great masses of steel
being almCTt an impracticability. Special
machinery was constructed by him for the
manufacture. and this or similar ma
chinery is still in use by the manufacture
ing company which he founded The prin-
ciples and operation of this machinery are
guarded as trade secrets. and while there
is no monopoly of such manufacture, it is
impossible for an outsider to describe in
detail just how the cables of this character
are made, as all the makers guard their
secrets with the same jealous care.
Wire cables have long been recognized
rs the only materials that can be used to
sustain the weights Of suspension bridges
of any magnitude, and they are utilized
for this purpose in so many places as to be
familiar to the entire public.
The second use, that of furnishing the
motive power to railroads, is less familiar,
but is growing more so every year. The
number of cities that have adopted the
cable instead of the horse as the propeller
of surface cars is great already and is in
creasing yearly. The principle is simple.
A cable double the length of the road is
laid in groove, where it lies on grooved
wheels, fixed at regular intervals. At
either end of the route land in the case
of long road at intermediate stations) the
cable, which is endless, is carried around
huge drum, which is revolved by station
airy engines.
Each car, or each train of cars, is provided
with what is called grip. 1t is a con-
trivance by which the car clings to the
cable and is carried along with it. The
amount of ingenuity which has been ex-
pended in the invention of patent devices
for grips is probably second only to that
which has been devoted to car couplers;
but though many devices failed, there are
several which do satisfactory work.
The advantages of the cable road are OBJ
vious-at least some of them. Ordinary
distractions are readily overcome by the
enormous power carried by the cable. In
clines even the steepest, give no pause TO
the cars. It is this particular quality that
gives the cable road its most notable adj
In pittsburg, Cleveland and nu-
merous other cities there are inclines too
steep TO allow of the safe running OF cars
over them when the cars are propelled by
horse power or by steam. With cable
the motion up or down is steady and can
be regulated at any desired speed.
The only disadvantage that has been Sc
riously urged against this kind of a rail
road is that ii is dangerous and serious
and fatal accidents have certainly hap
pened along the lines OF most surface roads
while they were still new. 1t has been
found, however. that as the people along
the lines become familiar with the cars the
number of accidents grows rapidly less.
The last use mentioned although there
are numerous other uses for wire rope,
not considered here is perhaps the most
Of all. IL is the transmission
Of power by means of the wire cable This
is defined by the makers as the use of
round endless wire rope. running at great
velocity in grooved sheave, in place Of
fiat belt running on fiat faced pulley" 1t
is readily seen that no new principle is in
voIyed, yet lis development within the past
ten years in this country has been enormous.
1t was in general use in Europe, however,
long before il was here, and one of the most
interesting exhibitions ever made Of il
was at the exposition in Paris in 1857.