Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

96 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF A MAIN HINGE AND ITS FOUNDATIONS. By courtesy of Mr. G. A. Hobson, M.Inst.C.E. platform at one end. Critics asserted that nobody would be found willing to drive the carriage to and fro over the abyss ; but this fear was entirely unjustified, and as a matter of fact the aerial journeys became very popular with the employees. A load of 10 tons could be taken across the gorge by this contrivance, which proved invaluable both to the bridge builders and the railroad constructors. During use the 870-foot steel rope stretched eight inches, but did not show any serious signs of wear until it had carried loads totalling something like 100,000 tons, in- clusive of the travelling carriage. The first item of bridge construction was the placing of the foundations for the four main bearings in excava- tions previously made by the railway company. Ex- cavating in the north bank was dangerous work, as the face of the cliff was there almost perpen- Founda= tions for the Bridge. manent cableway, for which was provided a rope capable of withstanding a 275-ton strain. As soon as the tower had been erected, one end of the rope was drawn across, passed dicular, and one of the staff had a narrow escape at this place, being saved from a fatal fall by the branches of a friendly tree. On the south bank operations were easier, but over the tower, and firmly anchored; the other end being attached to a counter- weighted sheer-legs on the western bank, designed to keep the tension on the cable uniform for all positions of the travelling conveyor. The conveyor itself weighed 5 tons, and was self-moving, picking up The current for its Conveyor. motors from a copper trol- ley wire slung close to it. Its driver, who also operated THE ZAMBESI ELECTRIC CABLEWAY SPANNING THE GORGE. {Photo, It. A. Poole.) the hoisting mechanism, was accommodated on a railed