Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-02-08
AN AERIAL JOURNEY
BY 7. W. Birney.
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to be, SAID my friend cary, as we
sat at the table, after supper, and dis
cussed our coffee; "for I've been in
enough tight places in my life to
make man not only gray-headed, but
bald-headed;" and he fingered affec-
tionately his blonde locks, which, to
say truth, were none too thick.
"Yes, sir" he continued, meditative-
ly; 81 was in one last fall that scared
me more than ever want to be scared
again. When hear the wind outside
there, and think of that experience, J
fairly shiver. Burt, of course, that's all
nonsense now" and he applied himself
again to his coffee.
Cary was civil engineer. We had
been college mates, but had not seen
him for years, and at this, our first
meeting since graduation, we had been
giving each other accounts of our re-
spective doings.
A Jest of mine, to the effect that 1t
was getting to be time for him to show
gray hairs, called forth the above
speech, and being fond of stories of
adventure, insisted on his explaining
himself at length.
"Well," he began, "it was in the val
lev of the New river, in West Vir-
ginia. ! was up there looking after the
interests of the H Bridge company,
which was going to bid on some tres
tle-work for the c. & o. railroad.
81 had been told of method they
had of sending lumber down from the
mountain by cable car, and one day,
in company with railroad man whose
acquaintance / had made, / walked
down to see it in operation. / saw IL
saw it in detail-and before | g.,
back / wished / had never heard of it,
'sThe mountain was very steep and
quite high--I should say 1900 feet
and the river ran at its very base. On
the opposite side Of the river was thu
railroad, where the lumber was loadI
ed on the fat cars.
''The lumber camp was near the
of the mountain, about 900 feet a.
the road, and they had 21s inch q
stretching down from it to a point o
the track. 1t was a steel cable, aT
was fastened to iron posts set in thq
rock.
"Of course it hung in an enormou
curve, being almost level where y
crossed the river, but becoming mon1
and more steep as it went up the mou
tain-sde. ! suppose it was all Of 1,9
feet long, and to see it hanging the
over the valley was sight in itsell
ION this large cable ran suspension
car--that is, they called it car; it was
only heavy platform hung by iron
rods at the corners from four grooved
wheels which fitted the cable. The rod ;
were hinged so that no matter at wha1
point on the incline the car was, the
always hung vertical.
'To the car was attached TIM
quarter-inch iron rope, which
coiled up and let out by stationary
gine at the lumber camp.
"They used to load the car with lu
Der at the top, let il down to be u
loaded, and then haul it up empt
"When we reached the foot OF
cable that day, the car had just
unloaded, and they were prepariD
for the return trip. But it seems
were going to send up by it
kitchen furniture and also G pi
planed and grooved boards, for
the camp.
"They had already put the boa
at the further end of the plat
LAYING them crosswise, and wer\
ranging good-sized stove, ivy
three chairs and table, which
the remainder of the consig'
These they packed as closely
sible. but took no other means
cure them in place.
"As we watched the proceedin
grzzled old chap, who seemed in chi
said:
"'Wal, we're about ready, now.
you fellers want TO 60 up? Nicd
'eThe idea appealed to my low
city and adventure, and with
ment's thought or quest
swered; OF course we doi
Burrill!'