The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-24
ghc aa1eha Daily gae1e Eday 1orurue august a. 1884,

| little more than one-fourth OF mile:
! No. /. nearly lss feet in a little over
| two-tfths OF mile: No ). 2OI s feet in
about one-half a mile: No. 8. 266lE feet
in tritie over one-half q mile; No. :,
2oO1z feet in the same distance; No. 3,
1919 feet in about three-fifths of a
mile: No. Q. 1891 feet in a little over
one-half a mile. and No. 10. 1905 feet
IN little over tyso-fifths of a mile.
Between the planes were light
grades absur6ly called levels, and at
the head of each plane was station
airy engine and the other machinery
adjunct ofthe motive power A vertical
groOved wheel of cast iron. eight and a
half feet in diameter. was placed in the
center of each track about 100 feet from
the head of the plane. These wheels
at the highest point of the circumfer-
ence rose s inches above the rails. The
shafts of these wheels were geared to-
gether by spur wheels feet IN diam
eter so as TO revolve in opposite direc-
tons
In pit between the vertical wheels
was horizontal grooved wheel equal
in diameter 20 the distance between
the tracks. This wheel was fitted into
a strong frame that could be moved Il
feet toward the head OF the plane bv
means Of a weight attached to chain
and hanging in well. Another hori-
zontal grooved wheel was placed 40
feet from the foot Of the plane. 1t was
also fitted into strong frame, and
could be moved 80 feet. The endless
steel rope passed over wheels Is inches
in diameter and n feet apart. At the
head OF each plane was a double cylin-
der. high pressure, horizontal steam
engine without fly wheel.
The engines at six of the planes were
of thirty-fve horse power, at the other
four of thirty horse power. Ahydraulic
regulator was used when the descend
ing load exceeded in weight the ascend
ing load The whole cost of the Port
age railroad was little short of ST.
100000.
4 curious and rare book published at
Philadelphia in 1886 gives travellers
account OF the journey over the E>ount-
aims BY the Portage railroad. He left
JohnsOn's town al 6 a. m, coming east,
and reached the foot of the first inclined
plane in about half an hour. lie was
much awed at the prospect of being lift
ed with his fellow passengers LIP feet
of perpendicular height and lowered l.
400 feet of perpendicular descent all in
six hours by complicated. powerful
and frangible machinery II required
four minutes to traverse the first
plane, 1.6OS feet in length and $50 in
perpendicular height.
The descent on the eastern slope
alarmed the traveller still more than
the ascent, because he realized that the
grade was sleeper. The rope, however,
was thicker. and the passage was made
in safety. without discomfort
During the twenty years that the
road was in use no serious accident oc-
Cured, and II was one of the wonders
cable traction. horses and locomotive
engines gave great variety to the short
journey over the mountain crest, and
many tourists took the route out Of
curiosity. 1t is said that William
Schultz, an ingenious and energetic
German. was the first man 10 convince
American engineers by practical dem
onstration that ordinary friction is suf-
fcient to enable locomotive engine
to drag train up a considerable grade.
The demonstration made it plain that
the device Of the Portage railroad
would no longer be necessary in seal
ing mountains.
Schultz afterward made a fortune
railroads for the car Of Rus
STA, and, returning to the United
States. settled down to life Of ease in
rural Delaware.