i8o 



CHAPTER X 



Fig. 72 



curved hangers. These curved hangers are pivoted on V-shaped saddles resting 

 on the rope, the saddles having malleable cast-iron frames fitted with friction 

 blocks to enable the requisite friction on the rope to be obtained, and allow the 

 carriers to pass with the rope up steep inclines, and over the pulleys, wings at each 

 end of the saddle frames embracing and passing over the pulley rims. The saddle 

 frames are besides each fitted with two small wheels mounted on pins which admit 

 of the carrier being removed from the rope at the terminals, and at curves, on to 

 shunt rails held in such a position that when the carrier approaches the terminal 

 the small wheels will engage on it, and running up a slight incline lift the friction 

 clip saddle from the rope and enable it to pass to the loading or unloading station 

 or round the curve wheels, the impetus derived from the speed of the rope being 

 sufficient for the purpose of enabling the carriers to free themselves automatically 

 from the rope." 



Views of this scheme 

 are shown in Fig. 71, 

 and a view of the 

 cradle in Fig. 72. 



In some cases the 

 configuration of the 

 land will allow of a 

 gravity system ; in the 

 simplest arrangement 

 the loaded cradles run 

 down a fixed rope and 

 are afterwards packed back to the fields ; in another system the descending 

 load works an endless rope which also carries back the empty cradles. 



Fluming. — Fluming is a method of transport used to a ver}^ considerable 

 extent in the Hawaiian Islands. A flume consists of a wooden gutter of 

 V-section. The material used is pine lumber, i in. x 14 in., and for ease of 

 transport is made in 12 ft. lengths ; , 

 vertical boards, 6 in. high, are fixed 

 above the sides of the gutter. It is 

 supported on light wooden frame- 

 work, and ends directly over the 

 end of the conveyor carrying the 

 cane to the crushers. The canes 

 are carried down the flume by 

 means of a stream of water. In 

 ^^^- 7?) Js shown a view of such a 

 flume. Approximately 1,000,000 

 gallons in 24 hours will flume 10 

 tons of cane per hour. Fluming is 

 a most expensive method of trans- 

 portation, and has been developed 

 solely on account of some conditions 

 peculiar to the Hawaiian Islands. 

 These include factories located at 

 or near sea level, steep gradients 

 and the presence of ravines or 

 gullies making railroading difficult, 

 combined with an abundance of 

 water. The weakest feature of a 

 flume system is that it only oper- 

 ates in one direction, and separate 

 means have to be adopted to carry supplies to the fields. 



