MESSRS DONAGHY & COS EXHIBITS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1583, 25 March 1882, Page 14

MESSRS DONA GHY & COS EXHIBITS.

For ( some time past the employes of .the Otagoj Steam Rope Works have' been .engaged in preparing a number of exhibits • ; f or the forthcoming rr t Christchurch , Exhibition. .'/Prominent among these is' an immense rope, said to be the largest) over manufactured. It is unquestionably the t largest- , ever made in the Southern Hemisphere, and rivals the large ropes mentioned in the London papers some few months ago as haying been manufactured for New Zealand. This rope, which has been manufactured solely for exhibition, is 24 inches in circumference, and is made up of 12 strands, each 235 feet long. In the complete rope there are altogether 2945 strands, and these are twisted and woven together in a surprisingly compact manner. It will be surmised that there would be some difficulty in the coiling of a rope of such large dimensions, weighing, as it does, three and a-half tons. The whole of the hands in the f •<• ctory were on Wednesday engaged in this work, which it was estimated would occupy the greater part of the day. It may also be remarked that the rope is of the best Manilla, and so complete is the machinery in the establishment that, the whole of the work in connection with its manufacture was completed in about 10 hours. The firm have also manufactured a largo quantity of other rope, in sizes varying from 24 inches down to half an inch.