The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-08 00:00:00

The Pneumatic Despatch.

Yesterday a ceremony of much scientific and
public interest took place at the offices of the Pneu-
matic Despatch Company,
.245, Holborn. This
consisted in the opening publicly of the first portion
of the tube which is soon to connect the General
Post-office with the terminus of the London and
North-Western Railway, and, which, if the promo-
ters succeed to the full extent of their expectations,
is eventually to open up a new system of communi-
cation throughout the metropolis. The public have
heard a good deal of the pneumatic despatch system,
and to a limited extent have seen it in operation
already. A short line was laid down experimentally
at Battersea two or three years ago, and afterwards
transferred to Seymour-street, where it has been
and is now doing duty in the conveyance of mails
between Euston-square station and the north-
western district post-office in Eversholt-street. A
short passenger line on the same principle was also
constructed at the Crystal Palace. The present,
however, is the first practical application of the pro-
cess on anything like a large scale, and the results
are certainly. encouraging. The distance from
Euston-square to Holborn is exactly one mile and
three-quarters ; the second portion of the line, run-
ning off at right angles to the General Post-office,
will be an additional mile in length, and of this
further portion one-half has been laid; so that the
completion of the first important section of the
company's undertaking may be looked for at no dis-
tant day. The opportunity yesterday afforded of
seeing the line in actual working order naturally
drew together a number of gentlemen whose names
are familiar in the scientific and commercial world.
There were present, among others, the Duke of
Buckingham, • chairman of the company ; Messrs.
w. H. Smith and J. H. Lloyd, directors ; Sir C.
Bright, M.P., Sir C. Roney,. Mr. Sheriff Gibbons,
Mr. Horne (of the firm of Chaplin and Horne), Sir
C. Fox, Mr. Scott Russell, Major-General Margary,
R.E., Colonel Creed, Mr. Baker, engineer to the
London and North-Western Railway ; Mr. Fowler,
engineer t 45 the Metropolitan Railway; Mr. Sa-
muda, Mr. W. T. Rammell, and Mr. Latimer Clark,
joint engineers of the company ; Major Morgany,
Mr. Margary, &c. Looked at from the street one
would never imagine that the interior of the pre-
mises contains so much that is well worth seeing.
Entering from the level of Holborn, the visitor
passes along a corridor through a doorway, and
emerges upon a gallery of considerable size, from
which he looks do' n on a brick floor, supporting
lines of rails, much as he might do from a railway
platform down on the line, but from a greater
elevation. Underneath the corridor by which he
has just entered he sees some mechanical appliances
suggestive partly of an engine-room, and partly of
a pointsman's gallery outside a railway station ;
and below the level, again, on which the white-
jacketed engineer in charge is standing, and sup-
porting the platform on which both he and these
mechanical appliances rest, are a couple of open-
ings, looking like black polished modern chimney-7
pieces with the grates withdrawn. These are the
mouths of the pneumatic tubes, of which one com-
municates with the North-Western Railway ; the
other, idle at present, will soon be drawing in and
delivering supplies from and to the postal head-
quarters in London. The hour appointed yesterday
for the experiment to begin was half-past one, and
shortly after that hour a sudden snap, and a sighing,
rushing sound, like that which often heralds the be-
ginning of a storm, announced that the machinery
was set in motion. The snapping noise proved on
examination to have proceeded from the closing of
iron doors a little way within the shadow of what has
been compared to a fire-place, and these doors met,
not evenly, but at an angle like that of a broad arrow,
the point projecting outward, so as to resist the atmo-
spheric pressure. Some minutes passed before any-
thing further was visible or audible ; for, though
with a moderate amount of pressure the pneumatic
train is propelled at a speed of 25. miles an hour,
from seven to eight minutes are required for the
transit from Euston-square to Holborn. At last
the close attention bestowed by the engineer upon
his various signals and gauges was rewarded by a
telegraphic tinkling indicative of the fact that the
greater portion of the journey had been accom-
plished. A second and third signal followed at no
great intervals, and almost immediately upon the
last of these the doors flew open, as doors used to
do in the days anterior to the French Revolution,
when monarchs or great personages were about to
appear, and in rolled solemnly four dwarfish iron
waggons, weighing with their contents some 10 tons
in the aggregate. The manner in which these doors
open, as if by magic, to admit the string of car-
riages coming apparently from the bowels of the
earth, is one of the most interesting features in the
entire process, To render it intelligible, it must be
premised that the air in the tube is alternately ex-

haunted and condensed, according to the direction
in which the train is going, and that the shaft com-
municating with the stationary engine which gene-
rates the blast, or causes the suction, enters the tube
about 100 ft. from its mouth. There is, therefore, a
body—technically speaking, a " cushion"—of air,
100 ft. in length, behind the draught pipe, which
renders material service in arresting the progress of
the advancing train, and which would, in fact,
bring it to a dead stop within the tube if the doors
were suffered to remain closed. A spring lever, how-
ever, underlies the rails at a short distance up the
tube, and this, when pressed by the weight of the
train, -withdraws the bolt that keeps the doors in

their places, and suffers them to be blown open.
Although, however, they fly apart with a violence
really alarming, they create no sound and sustain
no injury themselves, owing to the fact that when
fully open they are received into air-chambers. Air,
therefore, in one and the same moment, is made to
exhibit the force of a giant and the softness of a
glove. As regards the carriages, it cannot truthfully
be said that they are ornamental in their character.
In shape they are like a capital D turned over on its
straight side and mounted upon wheels ; either end
of the carriage has a raised hood or flange, shaped
50 as to correspond with the interior of the tube, the
dimensions of which are aft. in height by 4ft. 6in. in
width. Yesterday they were laden or ballasted with
shingle filled into sacks, but their ordinary freight
is expected to be in the first instance letter bags,
then probably railway parcels, certain descriptions
of market produce, and ultimately, it may be, gene-
ral merchandise. After the train had made some suc-
cessful passages to and fro several of the party ex-
pressed a strong desire to pass through the tube
themselves. They were warned that the line was-"not
constructed with a view to passenger traffic," and
that they might find the way "a little rough." The
spiritof adventure, however, is high in the heart even
of the middle-aged Englishman, and each of the
waggons had soon as many occupants as it could
comfortably accommodate in the recumbent posture
enforced by circumstances. Tarpaulin coverings were
obtained for one or two of the carriages, but the
greater number of the excursionists had to fit them-
selves in as best they could among the bags of shingle,
taking care to keep their heads well below the edge
of the carriages, lest, as anAmerican gentleman pre-
sent was credited with saying, " they might get their
hair brushed by machinery." The sensation at start-
ing, and still more so upon arriving, was not agree-
able. For •
about, a quarter of a minute in each case
there was a pressure upon the ears suggestive of
diving-bell experience, a suction like that with
which one isdrawn under aware, and a cold draught
of wind upon the eyes, having almost the effect
of falling water; but only fairly within the tube
these sensations were got rid of, or left behind, and
ih motion had little more positive discomfort about
it than would be attendant on riding on a " lorry"
over the worst ballasted line in England. It was a
curicus sensation to be flying along through the
earth, feet foremost, in utter darkness, for the best
part of ten mittiates, which, iu such a place, seemed
half an hour, knowing that to right and left of you
there were gas-pipes, water-pipes,. drains, cellars,
roofs of trees, and all the intricate fibres of the Lon-
don subsoil-way ; that nearer again to you was an
arch which you might touch at your peril, and that
of all these you could see absolutely nothing. The
conventional horrors of rats and catacombs troubled
one little, seeming out of place beside this latest
effort of human invention or audacity. But one
reminiscence connected with an earlier stage in the

history of this very pneumatic despatch did certainly
present itself at awkward moments. The incident
was as follows :—Various experiments having been
tried with the tube and its powers of suction, one of
the officials at last determined to see what would
happen in case the train stuck fast at any point on
its journey. A carriage was accordingly "scotched,"
or fastened in such a way that it could not move,
and then the power of the engine was exerted to the
utmost. The carriage in question was intended for
passengers, and furnished accordingly. By and bye
one of the cushions, the others, and finally all the
movables which the carriage contained, were whirled
through the tube and delivered at the other
end, the force exerted being such that even the nails
keeping down the carpet were extracted. As the
only " movables" yesterday were human bodies, the
moral of the story was not a pleasant one to draw ;
and at sharp corners, which did present themselves
at intervals, one recalled the popular heresies about
" the gracefully winding curves of English roads"
contrasted with " the hideously straight and
dusty avenues of France." The air within the
tube was by no means foul or disagreeable ; here
and there a strong flavour of rust was encountered,
but this was explained by the fact that as the tube
had to be laid in lengths, through various soils, and
encountered in the process a large share of unfavour-
able weather, the corrosion on the surface of the
iron could not be expected wholly to disappear until
cleared away by the friction of constantly passing
and repassing trains. On the arrival of the ex-
cursionists at the upper, or Euston-square extremity
of the line, they quitted their places for a few
moments to inspect the smaller tube, which com-
municates with the Eversholt-street district post-
office, and then returned by the way that they had
come to Holborn.

Ne doubt remained on the mind of any person
wo made the double transit as to the facilities which
the system, if a sufficient number of stations can be
incorporated with it, is calculated to afford, not only
to the postal service, but to the requirements of the
general public. The scheme of the company, who,
it seems, possess under their Act powers to lay down
pneumatic tubes at any point within the jurisdiction
of the Metropolitan Board of Works, is to construct
similar lines to that yesterday opened between the
10 district post-offices and the General Post-office,
and between the different railway termini and goods
depots in London, connecting with these lines the
six principal London markets and other important
points. For these purposes it is calculated that some
35 miles of tubing and a capital of £1,250,000 would
be required, the cost per mile roughly estimated being
from £30,000 to £35,000. The expenditure of the
company hitherto has been probably £150,000, which
would be largely in excess of this supposed average;
but the sum mentioned includes the cost of prelimi-
nary experiments, and also of seeking for two Acts
of Parliament. The company expect great profits
will eventually accrue to them from the carriage of
goods, the prime cost of which, according to their
system, would not exceed Id. per ton per mile in
London, while every merchant knows that he has to
pay Is., or perhaps Is. 3d., for the same weight and
distance. On the other hand, however, it must be
borne in mind that the interest upon the heavy pre-
liminary outlay cannot be lost sight of by the com-
pany in regulating their tariff of charges ; and, fur-
ther, that the merchant can send his goods where he
pleases at present rates, whereas the company can
only deposit them at certain well-defined stations.
In the postal subsidy which the company enjoy, or
will hereafter enjoy, they have one great element of
strength. If they succeed in relieving the leading
thoroughfares to any appreciable extent from their
present glut of traffic, they will not only reap the
reward of their own spirited enterprise, but will en-
title themselves to the gratitude of the public.

HEALTH OF LONDON.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Report.)

In the week that ended Saturday, Nov. 4, the
births registered in London and 10 other large towns
of the United Kingdom were 3,910 ; the deaths regis-
tered, 3,014. The annual rate of mortality in the
week in those 11 towns was 28 per 1,000 persons.
In London the births of 1,067 boys and 988 girls,
in all 2,055 children, were registered in the week.
In the corresponding weeks of 10 years, 1855-64,
the average numbers, corrected forincrease of popu-
lation, was 1,950.
• The deaths registered in London during week
were 1,413. It was the 44th week of the year ; and
the average number of deaths for that week is, with
a correction for increase of population, 1,262.
The actual return exhibits an excess of 151 over the
estimated number. This is partly due to the fall of
temperature, which was low over the country.

The deaths from diarrhcea are less numerous now
than they were in September, and the number is
still less as compared with the numbers returned
weekly in August ; but the disease was as fatal last
week as it was in the second week of October. The
deaths from diarrhcea in the last four weeks were
54, 62, 48, and 61.
In the 44th week of ten years, 1855-64, the aver-
age number of deaths from diarrhcea was 26. When
the 61 deaths from that complaint last week are
compared with the average, it will not be questioned
that an epidemic tendency exists in the London po-
pulation at the present time. _

Two deaths of children in the week are referred to
cholera. 'They are returned as follows :—On Oct.
30, at 5, Harland-square, Shoreditch, a girl, aged 4
oaths, choleraic diarrhoea (one day) ; and on the
same day, at 81, Besborough-place, Millbank, a boys
aged 5 years, cholera infantum (15 hours).
Scarlatina was fatal in 59 cases, and typhus in 77.
There were 177 deaths from phthisis.
The following five cases in which accidents by
horses or carriages were fatal were registered in the
week :—On London-bridge, a leather-dresser, aged
48 years, run over by an omnibus ; died on 0ct.30,
at Guy's Hospital. The daughter of a porter, aged
3 years, by the fall of a board which was knocked
down by a cart ; died on Sept. 27 at 2, Brown's-
court, Marylebone. The wife of a cabinetmaker,
aged 31 years, knocked down by a cart, and run
over by an omnibus ; died on Oct. 27 at University
College Hospital. A male pauper, aged 35 years,
run over ; died on Nov. lin London Hospital. In
the Strand the widow of a labourtt aged 63 years,
knocked down andrun over by a Hansom cab; died
on Oct. 28 in Charing-cross Hospital.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 24 per
1,000 in London, 31 in Edinburgh, 24 in Dublin,
40 in Liverpool, 36 in Manchester, 31 in Salford, 26
in Birmingham, 32 in Leeds, 22 in Bristol, 23 in
Hull, and 31 in Glasgow. The rate in Vienna was
26 in 1,000 during the week ending the 28th inst.,
when the temperature was 4.2 deg. Fahrenheitlower
than in the same week in London, when the rate
was 24 per 1,000.
In Liverpool the births in the week were 284, the
deaths 369 ; in Manchester the births 260, the deaths
246 ; in Salford the births 81, the deaths 65 ; in
Birmingham the births 223, the death 162; in Leeds
the births 217, the deaths 139 ; in Bristol the births
125, the deaths 68 ; in Hull the births 76, the deaths
46 ; in Edinburgh the births 118, the deaths 10.4
in Glasgow, the births 326, the deaths 254 ; and in
Dublin the births 145, the deaths, 148. There were
278 deaths in Vienna during the week ending the
28th inst.
Southampton—Among the population of this
borough (estimated to the middle of the present year
at 53,001), 28 deaths were registered during the
week ending last Saturday ; no death was referred
to cholera, but five resulted from scarlatina. The
annual rate of mortality during the week was 28 per
1,000 persons living.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.564 in.
The barometrical pressure fell to 28.99 in. on Mon-
day, and rose to 30.05 in. on Saturday. The mean
temperature of the air in the week was 42.5 deg.,
which is 3.9 deg. below the average of the same week
in 50 years, (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The
mean temperature was below the average on every
day except Monday ; and the air was cold at the end
of the week. The highest day temperature was 57.8,
on Sunday ; the lowest night temperature was 31.2
deg., on Thursday. The thermometer fell below the
freezing point of water, also on Saturday. The
range in the week was 26.6 deg. The mean daily
range was 14.1. On Sunday the range of tempera-
ture was as great as 21.1 deg. ; on the two follow-