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I am informed that the Sheffield Coal Company have used 
Smith's wire ropes in three different instances, — two of them 
on short inclined planes, and one in a dry downcast shaft 
The result in each case was unfavourable ; for the company 
found that the hempen ropes previously used lasted four times 
as long as the wire ones. 
In Cornwall, where horse gins are much used for drawing 
minerals, Smith's wire ropes are preferred on account of their 
lightness^ which enables a horse to draw a greater weight of 
mineral than he could with a hempen rope. Some of them 
have been in use twelve months, without having suffered 
materially in point of wear. 
An extensive coach-maker, in London, has used one of 
Smith's two-inch wire ropes for upwards of two years, for the 
purpose of raising and lowering carriages from the basement 
to the third story of his manufactory. The weight of the 
platform and carriage is a ton and a half ; and the rope coils 
on a barrel only six inches diameter. This rope is said to 
wear uncommonly well, and to realise the expectations of the 
proprietor. 
Smith's wire rope is favourably spoken of in the Report of 
the Blackwall Railway Company, in July last. The report 
says, " All the wire rope that we have hitherto used has been 
made by Smith, which has been found to answer exceedingly 
well." 
In the neighbourhood of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Smith's wire 
ropes have been adopted, as well as those of other patentees ; 
and Mr. Matthias Dunn, of that town, an eminent colliery 
viewer, says that they are working very satisfactorily in pits 
where conductors are used ; but more especially on inclined 
planes. The flat ropes have not been much tried yet in that 
neighbourhood ; but Mr. Dunn says that he has one at work 
which is going on favourably. 
Newall's patent wire ropes have been successfully applied 
