New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-04
A Successful Atmospheric Railway.
Foregn Correspondence q The OHIO sf'te J0uTnsL
PARIS Thursday, Oct !, lSj

GARIS, lnurtuhy, Oct - lcJ<.
One of the greatest curlOsltles IN mechanl-
cal way which have met in my travels is that Of the
Atmos pheric Railway at St German, about ID miles
from Paris. Atmospheric prcs.ur has here been
adopted 10 prOpe trains OF cars for distance OF hye
miles and nearly half-the last half Of which has an
ascent Of 49, per cent The object in adopting this sys
TEN TO bring the terminus Of the road up into the
CITY of St GcrInan which s located on hill forming
the south bank of the Seine The ascent too great
to be overcome in oil weathers by locomotive and in
deed only one locomotive has been found sufficiently
powerful to draw train up II any time.
The syttCm in use III the United states on inclined
planes Of drawing tr8ns up and letting them down by
means Of rope has been found here as elsewhere too
troublesome, too Glow, and attended with too many ac
cidons 10 be found available suburban roads where
the travel il so great u is rare to meet with any
thing in there old countries in advance OF America IN
real, practical utlry-in the inventive genius when mas
an utilitaran end-that We have deemed short des-
cIipton Of this most admirable and really interesting
invention might prove acceptable to our readers mos.
Of whom by this time no doubt either directors,
stockholders or employees of railroads.
Being fortunate enough TO have for ccerone On this
occasion an American lady, long resident In France we
were enabled to obtain from the gentlcnany superln
tenden through the medium OF our interpreter, full
knowledge OF the mechanism and the operation OF this
admirable machine. An iron tube is laid down in the
center Of the track which sunk about Onchrd OF it,
diameter in the bed OF the road For distance OF about
$500 words the tube has diameter of only ~ feet the
ascent here being so slight not TO require the
amount of force required the steep grade ascend
ing ST. German where the pipe for distance OF $500
wards Il = feCf ] men IN diameter.
Tie manner Of applying the atmospheric prcSsurcto
the CpulsiOn of the train IL exceedingly simple The
air Is exhausted from the entire length OF the tube go as
produce perfect vacuum Just before the arrival OF
ech train, winch every half hour, by means OF pow
erful and beautiful engines somewhat resembling those
at Paramount, These engines arc placed, two OF two
hundred horsepower at St Germain and one each AZ
the towns Of Nauterroe and ChatJn, in the valley to-
wards Paris
To each engine is adapted two large cylinders which
exhaust fourteen cubic feet OF air per second Tao
pressure in the large air caldron chaudlere attached
to the exhausting machines is equal TO six absolute
a,mospheros Ii will he readily understood that when
this long tube is completely exhausted OF air. II piston
so nicely adjusted the size ofthc tube as 10 render
urticht il allowed 10 20 loose at end Il will rush
through TO the other end 10 fill up the vacuum To
apply the motive power therefore, to inc propulsion OF
the train Il only necessary that this piston be attached
to the train of in such way as to drag them along
after it,
miraby and simply was this overcome that the en-
pincer assured that accident OF any KIND seldom
over occurred Throughout the entire length of the
tube sectiOn made in the top leaving an open space
of about FIVE inches In each cut edge OF the section
there Offset TO cetch the edges OF valve which ht-
down upon II.
This valve is made Of piece Of sole leather half an
inch thick havn. plates OF iron attached 10 II on boh
the upper and corresponding under side to give II
strength resist the suction OF the vacuum which are
perhaps one.iourh of an inch in thickness They are
not quite as wide the leather, but wide enough to
touch the on: Ct in the section.
The mates ahOu nine inches long and their ends
above and below placed threequarters OF an inch
apart forming joints, IA 10 give the leather valve
pial lily and at the time frmncss 10 resist the
powerful atmospheric pressure which Is brought 70
bear On il when the air is exhausted The entire length
Of the valve from end Of the tube TO the other is
attached 70 one eide, like cellar door for example.
From the back side of the piston, strong irorrrod
passes up thIoughthe aperture, which made by ra
inc up the edge Of the valve and is attached 10 the bot
tom Of the foremost As fast the piston passes
along the valve released rcm pressure behind IT, the
loose edge IL liberated and the bar of iron which Is az
ached to the foot more behind thcpiston meets
with no obstruction 10 its passage
The pressure of the atmosphere on the valve IN front
OF the piston where the vacuum still exists is so great
that there is no danger of the bar OF iron cXerng pres
sure so for Harvard loosen the plablc valve but
10 render the matter certain, and 10 obviate all
doubt slide on the bottom OF the car ships along on
the iron plate of the valve and in advance OF the
piston snd presses firmly down. Every part OF the
tube is kept wen oiled The rate az which trains ascend
varies ire fifteen twenty miles the hour, according
to the load.
When we went up, there were Fix cars very wei
filed with passengers. After the ascent commences
i've bridges across the Seine aud viaduc o. twenty
feet high and wide arches crossed, and one long
tunnel through the brow Of the hill and under the
Kings passed where the road parabohcay
curved.
The road hss been in operation five years, and
safely and well has it worked, that the experiment l.
REGARDED entirely successful The cost OF the entire
machinery eleven millions Of francs. The cost OF
working it, or the dividends which the road pays did
of