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place, but even then the heavy mist precluded any very minute inspection with a view to
considering sites of stations, and so on. The Joint Committee, however, will, we do not doubt,
take early steps to put themselves in a position to report to the Council.

The inspection took place some days later on 10 October and the Joint Committee concluded
they had no objections to the railway or hotel provided the catchment was fenced in, the hotel

was built beyond its limits, and hotel drainage did not pollute the water. Their report was
presented to the Mayor Sir Frederick Smith, an ardent supporter of the project, in February

1911.

The First Aerial Cableway Proposal, 1911

At this time a different proposal came forward. It was from Messrs. W. Spilhaus & Co., of

Cape Town representing Adolf Bleichert & Co., of Leipzig, Germany, and it was to construct

and operate an aerial cableway. Bleichert was a railway engineering company and their South
African agent, Mr Falcke of Johannesburg, had done a preliminary survey. The costs of

materials and construction had been calculated at £60,000, annual operating costs at £6,834,
annual passenger volumes at 50,000, and annual income at £15,000. They had also compared

the merits of the aerial cableway against the funicular and rack-railways and concluded that

the cableway was cheaper, quicker, environmentally less destructive (no excavations,
footings, culverts, and pylons), noiseless, and more feasible than the others. It would start at

Rocklands (Vredehoek), to which point existing tramlines would be extended from
Buitenkant Street, and then go straight to the top. At the top would be a hotel that was vital to

the scheme’s financial viability.

This proposal was supported by City Engineer Jeffries but the Council found it unsuitable,

perhaps because they favoured the Swiss rack-railway model on account of its perceived
safety and reliability.

The Platteklip Gorge Funicular Scheme, 1912-14

In pursuit of this scheme the Council instructed their London representative, Mr Soper, to
proceed to Switzerland to find a surveyor there. He interviewed a number of engineers with

experience in designing and constructing mountain railways and recommended Mr H. H.