The Funicular
In 1892 a funicular to ascend the coast was built and known as the lift. The station was located at the lower end of Dragon street, while the upper station led right into a gateway to access the terrace underneath the basilica. There were then only a few degrees to climb to reach the level of the crypt, at 162m. The work lasted two years.
It consisted of two cabins weighing 13 tons with vacuum, circulating on two parallel ways provided with toothed racks. The movement was produced by a system called “to balance d' water”; each cabin, in addition to its two stages being able to receive 50 passengers on the whole, was provided d' a tank d' water of 12 cubic metres. The cabins were connected together by a cable of lift; the tank of the downward cabin was filled d' water (that of the ascending cabin being of course emptied). This ballasting ensured the starting of the system. The difference in level between the two stations was 84m. The water collected with the foot of apparatus with the exit of each voyage was brought back to the top with helps; a pump of 25 units (of truths horsepowers, because the pump was actuated by the vapor). If the journey time were two minutes, the time necessary with the filling of the higher tank exceeded the ten minutes, obliging to space the departures, in spite of l' often considerable multitude. The last emotion, after the rise, was felt lorsqu' it was necessary to cross the footbridge of 100 metres length (built by Eiffel) which overhung the steep slope. It n' had that 5 metres (16 ft) broad and the mistral s' gave to it to heart joy. In the only day of August 15, 1892, the number of the travellers exceeded 15,000 It was destroyed after having transported 20 million passengers over 75 years.
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