618 TKANSACTIONS OF THE 



Wire rope is also soon to become the medium for telegraphic 

 communication between the continent of Europe and America. 



If entirely used in this great trio of modern advancement, the 

 telegraph, steamships and railways, the demand would be greater 

 than the present means at command could furnish, a hypotheti- 

 cal deficiency, however, that American enterprise would soon 

 supply. 



But in addition to the foregoing, it is already in extensive use 

 all over our country for working inclined planes on railways, for 

 heavy hoisting in coal pits, in iron and other mines, and sugar 

 houses, far exceeding both in economy and safety, either hide, 

 hemp, or manilla ropes and chains. 



It is equally applicable to store and ware-houses, foundries, 

 fec.jfor staying derricks, cranes, shears, chimneys, masts, &c., for 

 steering purposes in vessels, for tow lines, lightning conductors, 

 for dmnb waiter, cord and hanging sash weights in windows, &c. 



On inclined planes and in mines, they are not only safer but 

 more economical; the degree of economy depending on other cir- 

 cumstances; always being, however, in direct proportion to the 

 speed of its working, and to the consequent degree of vibration. 

 When worked at a velocity of eight to twelve miles an hour, driven 

 by badly arranged machinery, continually getting out of order, 

 it will last about two yeai-s, and pass 300,000 tons, gross weight, 

 over planes half a mile in length, and rising one in ten. 



The Pennsylvania coal company have ropes of less size on their 

 planes, performing five times the work. 



Those in use on the inclined planes of the Morris canal, are 

 two inches diameter, draw loads of one hundred tons over incli- 

 nations of one in twelve, at a speed of five miles an hour; and 

 last, in consequence of perfect management and good usage from 

 seven to eight years. 



Manufacture — I will close this paper by briefly describing the 

 process of its manufacture, which, like the production of many 

 other similar valuable commodities, is simple; yet, combining 

 with much ingenuity a great deal of well arranged machinery. 



The Iron, then, first of all, should be of the best quality of 

 Norway, or some other equally good. 



The bars are first heated to a welding heat, then passed a num- 

 ber of times through a train of three rolls, running at a velocity 

 of about five hundred revolutions per minute, reducing the run 

 down from one and one-eighth inch diameter, to about a quarter 

 of an inch. 



