The sun., 1908-05-03
MODERN CELLAR DIGGING WAYS.
Work That Might he Impossible for Horses
Done Handlly with a steam Engine.

At Broadway and Fourth street, the
southwest corner they are digging a deep
cellar for a new building, and the cellar
dirt from the excavation, as it is loaded
into wagons, they are hauling up in the
modern way. by means Of a wire cable
and a steam engine
In this sort OF hauling when the situation
and surroundings are such as 10 permit
Of il the engine is so placed that a straight
haul can be made, the cable running direct
from the wagon to the engineybut in many
cases this is impossible, and then they rig
pulley blocks at one point and another on
the ground and run the cable through these
blocks and 40 haul the load up out Of the
cellar by a more or less zigzag course from
block to block until they get it up to the
street. As many as four blocks have been laid
down on a job Of this sort. the haul in this
case requiring a cable Of great length,
about thousand feet. On this Broadway
and Fourth street job they are using two
blocks and the greatest length Of cable
paid out IL i65 feet.
The engine stands in Fourth street, at the
extreme rear OF the lot. and Of course II is
set close 10 the curb 30 as to make as little
obstruction as possible to traffic in the
street But standing there, close in, the en-
gine couldn't heave all the load up quite far
enough 10 get it where the horses could
handle il, 30 they have driven down in the
street, within the building material permit
line, an iron stake stout enough o hold
the load, and to this stake has been attached
one Of the blocks, through which the hauling
cable runs. By means OF this stake and
block the load can be hauled out on the
sidewalk.
There are two slopes down into the cellar,
one straight down from Fourth street
along the rear end OF the lot 10 its south
west corner and another running at an
angle from that corner down 10 the Broad
way front At the top Of the slope UP
from Broadway they attached 10 stout
timbers another block, running the cable
through that; and in operation they haul
the load up the slope from Broadway 10 the
block in the corner Of the lot and then
they cast the cable loose from that block
and haul the load up the other slope 10 the
street. There is always a fringe Of inter-
ested people standing around the edge OF
the excavation looking on.
The shoyellers are loading A wagon, say,
down at the deepest part Of the excavation.
at the foot OF the second slope near Broad
way, and when the loading ia finished the
driver mounts 10 his seat and gathers up
the rens the men handling the cable having
meanwhile made IL fast 20 the running
mart of the wagon and leading forward
between the two horses and then every
thing being ready they give the signal
and the engineer up in the street starts
the engine and the cable begins TO pull
MANY city horses are now tolerably well
used 10 being helped in this way and are not
surprised by It. but sometimes when he feels
the wagon being started up on him horse
will hang back on It a little at first. But in
moment the morse discovers that the power
moving the wagon is irresistible, and then
Commonly the team will pull some going
no the slope, but not 20 the extent OF their
power. The horses let the cable do most OF
the pulling, and II looks as II such pulling
as they did they were doing for appear.
ance sake, 30 that it wouldn't look as II
they were lying down on the job.
The load pulled by the cable they keep
moving steadily up that first slope until they
come pretty near to the first block When
they get close TO II the horses are likely TO
brace their feet forward and hold back good
and nara, IOT " lOOhb W lilIiL 40 II lHtl
were being hauled right up into the cor ner
against the walls Of the buildings adjoining
the lot
But the engine keeps right on pulling
horses, wagon. load and all right along
until Il has got the outfit clean 70 the top OF
the lower slope, and so opposite the foot OF
the upper one, and then the engineer stops
the engine, and the men life the snatchblook
in the corner and clear the cable from It's
sheave, and the engineer takes up the cables
slack, while the driver now leads the horses
around from the corner TO face up the second
slope, TO the street, and the men straighten
out the cable and keep il clear Of the horses
until the engineer has drawn II tsut. And
then. all ready for the second part Of the
haul up, the engineer starts the engine
again and pulls the load up that second
slope and out OF the excavation onto the
sidewalk, TO where the horSes can get away
with IT,
And then they rig the cable again and
haul up another load, and 30 keep on indeh-
nitely; work that here might be almost II not
quite impossible with the help OF even the
stoutest OF towing teams being done by
the engine handily.