548 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



arches. Upon this track a car moves back and forth, moved back by means of 

 heavy weights in a pit at the back part of the building connected with the car by 

 means of a cable over a vertical pulley'at the pit, moving forward as the increased 

 tension on the cable in the street demands, caused by additional cars using the 

 cable. There isarranged also in the center of this tension-car a large twelve-foot 

 sheave which constantly revolves as the cable passes around it, in going from the 

 driving-drum to the sheave and out into the street again. The gauge of the ten- 

 sion-car track is three feet. In front of the engine-house on 9th Street a very 

 large vanlt is made under the street; the roadway at this point is carried by iron 

 columns. This vault has six large twelve-foot sheaves arranged in it, each of 

 which weighs 4,000 pounds; these are used for directing or guiding the cables in 

 to the engine-house. 



The room next west of the engine-room is arranged as a machine shop; it is 

 large and provided with such tools as work of this kind requires. 



The 9th and Washington Street floor is used as a storage-room for cars, in 

 one corner of which is provided a very complete wash-room for cars, heated in 

 winter with steam radiators, and also provided with hot water. 



The upper floor is used as a paint and repair shop, except that portion par- 

 titioned off for offices. These offices are all finished with Southern pine, there 

 being in all six rooms; namely, conductors', superintendent's, cashier's, directors', 

 and civil engineer's office. 



The total length of this road, as now built, is two and one-quarter miles. 

 Next summer the road will be extended eastward one mile on Independence 

 Avenue, and one mile on 9th Street. Mr. Robert Gillham, C. E., chief engineer 

 of the company, has his plans of these extensions nearly cpmpleted. Plans are 

 also being prepared by Mr. Gillham, who is also chief engineer for the Inter-State 

 Rapid Transit Company, who are about building an elevated cable railway from 

 Kansas City to Wyandotte. The total length of this road, including the proposed 

 surface cable railway through Wyandotte, will be three miles, making a total 

 length of double track, when these extensions are completed, of seven and one- 

 quarter miles, all of which road will be operated by the machinery and the cable 

 that operates the Kansas City Cable Road, described above. 



There has been very little reliable information gathered regarding the econ- 

 omy and the power required under different conditions of loading of cable, to 

 operate these roads. While it is true that cable railways have been in operation 

 in San Francisco for several years, no scientific records or tests have been made; 

 thus the results are not very well determined. 



Mr. Gillham has provided means of testing the capacity of boilers, power of 

 engines, evaporation of water per pound of coal, power required to move cable, 

 machinery and cars; also to test power required in ascending the various grades, 

 and to test the tension on cable under all conditions of loading. The informa- 

 tion gathered from careful tests of this character will be of value to the engineer- 

 ing profession. 



