Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-10-16

pointed. it meets the first upward car,
which it passes, as already described,
and so on till after the three empty
cars are passed, when it runs into the
elevated station at the lower terminus;
there switches off and passes across to
the bins. The cars are supplied with
valves, and on being opened by a
crank, the load is dropped into the
bin. from which, also, by valve it is
dropped into the cars of the MOI folk
and Western Railroad for transporta-
ton to any furnace desired. Thus, it
| will be observed, that the wire rope is
in continuous motion with three de-
scending loaded cars which, by gravity,
are taking up three empty cars, and it
should be noted that at the turn-outs
an automatic device also shifts the
rope with the ascending empty cars, SO
that the draw is direct without friction,
and at the end of the siding by SINH
lar device assumes its place on the
main or single track. There appears
to be no necessity to arrest the wire
rope in its systematic and continuous
movement, and the cars are only de-
| tached for two minutes or so at the
| terminus above as well as below to re.
ceive and discharge their cargoes-the
Whole operation is a matter of strict
calculation and void of confusion or
| interruption in their downward and
upward journeys.
l have stated that Mr.. Gerow, the
| President of the Development Com
pany, commenced in 1891 the construc-
| ton of this tram-way, as it is popular
ly called, but which it is more correctly
styled above. 1t was early discovered
that the grading of the track was at
fault for a successful prospect, but
about all that am not particularly in
formed. So it was. as l understand the
matter, the parties at first contracting
for the work yielded to another con
Germ, that of John A. Roebing Sons
Company, New York, and placed Mr..
5. "A. CooDey, engineer of that city, in
charge. Referring to the defective
grade, as l understand that matter,
Mr.. William J. Hurlbut, civil engineer
of Buena Vista, was placed in charge
OF the grading, to do away with that
feature which existed-that of up
grade in crossing valleys OH the side OF
the mountain in the downward course.
| This was, in due course of time, &C.
conplished, and then the work on it's
newly arranged basis was commenced
! In earnest. Capacity, study, time. and
/ VII Io ~ OCCA lICCly CdIltu luLO
sitlon, and the day of the rigid test re-
GENTLY arrived. The conditions of the
| test were as follows: The whole ma
chinery was to work perfectly as indi-
| Gated and to receive at the summit of
| the mountain and deposit at the ter
| minus below two thousand, five hun
dred tons of iron ore in ten consecutive
| hours. This was accomplished, and
| more than accomplished, after repeat.
ed tests, and, to the uniformed in
| such intricate affairs, as l am, seemed
| about as near perpetual motion as any
thing L have ever read of. Steam
power, mule force, or manual labor in
| the propelling output are not there
| Gravity and regular incline are masters
| of the situation.
1t was reported to me that not more
| than twelve men accustomed to min
ing work were necessary to operate the
whole thing. One of these to be a
supervisor or inspector to see that the
line of railroad and the cars and their
adjustments were always in order
Thus it will be observed that in the
! case of the owners of this property,
| which has its ores exposed all the way
along the side of the mountain and in
millions of tons on the summit, and
not subjected to the expense and
heavy cost of drifts and shafts it de-
posits its ores by the economical meth
cd on the cars of the great railroad for
transportation to furnaces at about
five cents per ton.
1t would not be proper to close this
| sketch without further reference to
the concern of the Roebling's Sons
Company, and their deputy, Mr.. S. A.
Cooney, under whose responsibility
and tact this important work was ac-
complished. In the case of Mr.. Cooney,
whether Or not his genius as we'll as his
skill fills an important link in this
achievement, the work stands there
. for itself in full testimony of his asso-
citation in high degree with the design
and it's future growth.
l have examined the Encyclopedias
as well as Webster's biographical regis
ter and find that John A. Roebling is
reported as German-American Civil
Engineer, born 1906, died 1869. and dis
tinguished as a bridge builder. His
son, Washington Augustus, born 1887,
Civil Engineer, and educated in the
profession of his father. Their names
are associated as designers and build
ers of several great bridges in the
United States, the most noted being
that over the East River between New
York and Brooklyn.
1t appears that Washington Angus
tus Roebling and his brothers are as
ISOLATED as company, which bears
the name of their father. That com
pany stepped in and assumed the place
of the former contracting parties with
President Gerow, and it must be con-
elusive that it was more for the pur-
pose of demonstrating, that, banishing
all other methods and devices, power
alone through the agency of gravity
and automatic adjustments could &C.
cOmplish an achievement, in it's par
ticular features, hitherto unknown,
rather than the reward of pecuniary
income from the profits of the task
undertaken.
THE REAL ESTATE,
Early in 1881, there was an immense
assemblage of the people of Lynchburg
in the Opera-House of that city, to
hear the distinguished speakers that
were to be present for the purpose of
formulating the designs in view, in the
construction of the Richmond and Al
leghany Railroad, now the James
River branch of the Chesapeake and
Ohio system. Major Jed Hotchk1ss, of
Staunton, along with Professor Weeks,
of Pittsburg, Hon. James G.. Blaine
and others, were announced for the &C.
casion. Professor Weeks, in his sketch
of the location of Lynchburg and the
resources surrounding to sustain great
industries, declared that city blessed
with superior facilities to Pittsburg.-
Major Hotchkiss, always entertaining
and instructive, and who is never more
at home than when his unerring lines
are drawn upon the blackboard, at his
good right hand, spoke of the resources
West of that city. and in his address
said the iron-ore under and along the
mountain from Buford Gap North,
away down towards the Potomac, was
in quantities cribable-indeed the
shaft and the drift had but to pene-
trate to find that the mountain chain
OF the Blue Ridge rested on solid iron.
Ten years after that great demonstra-
ton at Lynchburg the Glasgow De-
velopment Company in 1891 purchased
the property about which am writing.