Primitive but Effective.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 63

Primitive but Effective.

The Chinese have a primitive but very interesting method of employing the tides for lifting things. In building a big bridge or fortification, they fetch huge pieces of stone lip a river on a lighter, and then proceed to elevate them to any height that may be desired. ... When the tide is at its highest they fasten the stones by means of ropes to tall wooden "sheer-legs" which are_stuck in the mud and tied, together at the top. By the aid of this simple contrivance the .stones are left hanging in the air when the lighter which carried them sinks with the tide. A structure is then built up from the deck of the lighter, high enough to sustain directly the hanging stones, which are uplifted into the air when the tide rises again. In this way, if the tide rises and falls ten feet in the river the stones may be uplifted juat that much with every ebb and flow. The water does it all. In fact, a practically unlimited force is doing the work: the whole moon is pulling. Given a lighter big enough, " sheer-legs " tall enough, _and rope 3 strong enough, and the biggest stone might be'lifted high up. * On one occasion a big cannon was sunk by accident in a Chinese river. A warship tried its best to rake it up from the bottom, but without success, though the most improved modern machinery was employed. Then came along some slant-eyed engineers in pigtails, bringing two lighters and a few ropes, and in a comparatively short time they fetched up the big gun from the river and placed it on the deck of the vessel.