130 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 
ground ropes, some of which are over two miles in length. 
Their endless ropes run slowly; 1 1-4 miles per hour is 
deemed best, 2 1-2 miles per hour being their highest speed, 
Their common hoisting speed in pits of a quarter of a mile 
vertical depth, is one minute for the quarter of a mile; this 
includes the slow run near top and bottom; one of their 
tail rope trains of about ten cars, passed me in one of their 
gangways at a speed of ten miles per hour; this rather 
surprised me, but I was more astonished on noticing that 
the boy in charge of the train was stretched out at full length 
on top of the last mine car, his head and back not over & 
foot from the roof; his only chance to stop the train was to 
jerk the signal wire at the side of the gangway, the engine 
being a half mile away. 
I was informed by the mine managers that ten miles per 
hour was the ordinary speed of their “tail rope trains” in 
the middle of the haul. Yet with all the advantages and 
economy of the system of underground wire rope haulage, 
the lack of machinery and appliances, the absence of labor 
skilled and trained to handle and use it, will no doubt cause 
our mine managers to hesitate considerably before adopting 
it, but should any of them decide to adopt it, their best 
plan would be to go and see it in operation, examine the 
different systems, and study the various changes made in 
the use of the appliances to suit the different conditions 
and circumstances, then make arrangements to secure the 
machinery and appliances as needed, in the section of 
country where wire rope haulage is well understood and 
extensively used ; then begin with the simplest and easiest 
form of wire rope haulage and increase gradually as the 
laborers become more skilled and trained. To begin to 
adopt it in its more complicated forms, perhaps might 
result in failure and disaster. For conveying power to the 
“tail rope system,” or any other quick motion system of 
underground haulage, where it is a long distance from day- 
light, the dynamo, electric wire and electric motor is supe- 
rior to compressed air or any other method, and more 
economical. The electric wire will yet supply with power 
all mining pumps and wire rope haulage systems, that are 
situated a long distance from daylight. 
