Show wire rope from pompeii ropes made of various kinds of fiber and leather are of very ancient date hopes of palm have been found in egypt in the tombs of BenI Hassan about and on the walls of these tombs is also shown the process of preparing hemp the bible tells us that samson was bound with ropes and that the spies sent by joshua into jericho were let down in a basket presumably by means of a rope at nimrud assyria a carved slab showing the siege of a castle was found on which a soldier was depre dented in he act of cutting a rope to which bucket for drawing water from well outside the castle walls was attached tho wire rope Is generally conald ered a modern invention a product of modern skill and it will surprise many to learn that its manufacture Is really a rediscovered lost art although the assyrians practiced the art of wife beating no evidence has been found to indicate that they ased wire tor making rope the excavations at pompeii have however brought to light a piece of bronze wire rope nearly fifteen feet long and about one inch in cir cumfer ence this rope Is now in the Bor bonico at naples it consists of three strands laid spirally together each strand being made up of fifteen wires twisted to gethel and its construction does not therefore differ greatly from that of wire ropes made to day pompeii was burled A D 79 1825 years ago but how long wire ropes had then been known it Is impossible to tell though judging by the knowl edge shown in the construction it may be safely concluded that they had been known for a considerable time As to the use of rope tramways it Is eald that they were in use as early as 1644 philadelphia record |