The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-08
a CuSFfN NINE.
Moving n steel Cable m q Ma.
Train.


Denver Correspondence 81. louis C,aA.
Democrat
To enc who has seen ths difficulty v,,.
which the great sp0ols q steel cah,e az
moved 10 ti3e power house az the c,iv.
Street line In st. louis II becomes a. -
terssting question how IN engineer easss
solve the problem OF hauiiaS the sars
quantity OF rope OVER a trail cut In ~.
side % a mountain and SO PERCEPTIONS thai
even the sure-foosed ponies OF the rscas.
tain could not he trusted 10 make tha,ra
Yet the feat was accomplished last wsst
in manner that was as novel ana IN
genious as Il was successful
1T Telluride Col she Nellie mine l.
Gated in the Marshall basin in the esn,r
Of chain Of mountalas that arc ainos
imrregnahle 10 the advances Of man. Asd
just completed the construction Of tkA
skeleton Of an ariel Sramway designed i
bring ores from the faina "a the ra.a i,
the valley situated some 200 feet heios.
across a ragged range of hills shSs 40
parently drsied the efforts of engineer
20 penetrate. The cable was down az m.
railway station. mounted on big spoa
similar 10 those which have become i.
m.liaf sights around cable railway hogssS
The wire rope weighed 1850 pounds ara
represented a length OF 1880 feet "a
move this bulk on level " 0gld have been
prodigious task. while TO haul IL over
roadway that did not a. erage n.ors than
fifteen inches IN width seemed nreposgss
Gus. Yet that was peTcisely what vas
done. The simplicity of the plan IS Of ii.
Columbus order. but the mode did not SUE.
gest itself TO any previous engineer. L
was decided TO haul the cable 10 the Ne. I
lie on a jack train, I. g. L numee- Il
burrcs or diminGiive mules trained 10
follow 81 bell mare without ever deyiAt
ing from the narrow ledge that answered
for path.
First Of all. the rope was unwound ss&
apportioned into l2l small coils, tatA
weighing about ITO pounds. Then, whn
all was ready for the trip the wire cshA
was attached to the hurros. two rpla
being sluug on either side OK the ltA
pack saddles. and there securely lashsa
so that any disturbance Of he donkey
would not let the load be released. Sky.
four bugTos were required for the undsr.
taking. and the long train strung our cs9
the mountains I'm an unduiatlas mass that
was connected by the Gordiaa knot It
steel that could not be pared. Should
one have slipped. a fault that occasional
" happens. the wcight Of the cable weaa
have held him close 30 the train and -
paekmasters would quickly have had ha
back on terra ilrma. Fortunately, hsst
was not the slightest incsdeat In the g.
tire trip and org before dark the caB
Was unioadei AZ the mine and the CO
eineers had begun 10 string IL out esss
the traUGway.
The satire Of fate Is the effect OF ne
new means Of transporting RE- As sss
as the tramwAy is finished II viii diYss
the services of the packers and their ~
trains of jacks, and the .ireless anlmas
whose steady legs made possible this fefs
81 S.rsH h.a
out OF a Job The trauswty VIII DO "
work Of LEGO burros. ard does not cr
anything more than the price OF msai
services 10 attend the o4ak'. tor me ~
descending brings back the empty ohtf
cts and also eIevates mill supplies aas
small machinery. practically meeting .
the requirements OF the mine.