lined at such an angle that the load will descend by gravity. The
trackway or rail rope rests upon saddles of iron or hard wood on the
tops of terminal supports, usually known as towers. These towers may be
constructed either of wood or iron, and if the exigencies of the work
render it desirable, they may be mounted on trolleys and rails, in which
case the cableway is rendered portable, and can be moved about,
sometimes a great advantage in excavating work. The motive power may be
either steam, gas, or electricity. The motor is situated in what is
termed the head tower, which is sometimes a little higher than the other
or tail tower. Sometimes, but not frequently, the latter is also fitted
with a motor. The span between the two towers sometimes extends to 2000
ft., but this is exceptional. Very heavy loads are dealt with, sometimes
as much as 8 tons in a single load. The load, which may be carried in a
skip or a tray, is borne by an apparatus called the carrier, which is a
modification of a running head, consisting of pulleys and blocks and
running along the main cable or trackway. The carrier is also fitted
with pulleys or guides for the dump line. The carrier is drawn along the
main cable by an endless or hauling rope which passes from the carrier
over the head tower and is wound several times round the drum of the
winding engine to secure frictional hold, then back over the head tower,
to the tail tower, returning to the rear end of the carrier. The
hoisting rope passes from the engine to the fall block for raising the
load. The dump line comes from the other side of the winding engine drum
and passes to a smaller block attached to the rear end of the skip or
tray. The whole weight of the skip is borne by the hoisting rope, while
the dump line comes in slack, but at the same rate of speed. Whenever it
is desired to dump the load, the dump line is shifted to a section of
the drum having a slightly larger diameter, and being thus drawn in at a
higher rate of speed the load is discharged. The engine is then
reversed, and the carriage brought back for the next load.

This is in outline the mode of operating all cableways. This appliance
has rendered great service as a labour saver in navvying, quarrying and
mining work; in placer-mining, for instance, cableways have been found
very useful when fitted with a self-filling drag bucket, which will take
the place of a great number of hands. Cableways can be worked at a great
s