The daily union., 1852-11-12
aodern wonder-A successful Atmospheric
Railway.


,E,,s,.a correspondence the ohio stats Joolnal.l
PARIs. October 4. 1854
ooa ~ The greatest en- -iosi.ies in mechanical way
which have me, h INV iraye- is thai OF The atmospheric
railway at ST. German. about hleh nnlss iio ~
Atmospheric pressure has here been sop'eu " pope
trains OF cars Tor distance OF nse miles an neay
hal-ihe lasl half OF which has an ascent OF ~ per
The object in adopting this system was 70 pIlng 's
minus OF the road up the city oil 81 German winch
is located on hill forming the south bank oil the seine.
The ascent too great TO be overcome IN all wea'peis
by locomotive, and indeed, only one locomouve DO,
been found sufficiently powerful TO draw tram up al
any time. -, So. =, ;,clined
planes of drawing trains up and letting ihem aoh s
means OF rope has been founl here elsewhere 100
troublesome. too slow. and attended WIN 700 many
DENTS 10 be found available on Suburban i1aas
The travel is so great Ii is rare 10 meet WIN any ps
in od countries In advance OF America IN real piac
ca utilityn the inventive genius wnu nas 81
tartan end-that have deemed shoit " % ~
this most admirable and really Interesting nvenuoh mgh.
proye acceptable 10 our readers, most OF whom are oy
hs lime no doubt either directors, sockhodeis OF en-
ployees OF railroads ,o,a =, Ma
an American lady, long resident IN France we
were enaoed to obtain from the genlemany superin'end,
ent through the medium OF our interpreter luii
knowledge of the mechanism and the operation OF this
admirable machine. an iron tube Is alh down IN the
centre OF the track, which is sunk about onehrd OF
its diameter in the bed OF the road For distance Of
about $500 yards the tube has diameter oil only IL
feet the ascent here being so slight as not 10 require the
same amount OF force required the steep grade
ascending to St German where the pipe Tor distance
oil g. 500 yards is feet one inch in diameter.
The manner of applying the aimospherie pressure to
the propulsion OF the train exceedingly simple. The
air exhausted from the entire length OF the ube SO as
produce perfect vacuum Just before the arrival oi
each train. which is every hall hour, by means OF pow
eIfnl and beaulul engines somewhat resembling ihose
al Fairmount These engines are placed, two OF two
hundred horse power at ST. German, and one each al
the towns of Nauterree and Chaton in The valley To-
wards Paris.
10 each engine is adapted two large cylinders which
exhaust fourteen cubic feet OF AIR per second Inc
pressure in the large ar cadron (chaadefes1 attached 10
pheres. 1t will be readily understood that when this
long tube is completely exhausted OF air. it piston 50
nicely adjusted to the size OF the tube as 10 render i
air tight i allowed 10 go loose end it will rush
through 10 the other end TO hll up the vacuum Io ap-
ply the motive power therefore, TO The propulsion OF the
train is only necessary that This piston be attached 10
the train OF cars in snch way as TO drag them along
alter it.
This was the great difficulty to encounter; but so ad-
miraby and simply this overcome that the engl-
neer assured that accident OF any kind seldom ever
occurred Throughout the entire length OF the lube,
section is made in The top leaving an open space OF about
five inches In each cut edge OF the section there Is an
Offset 10 catch the edges OF valve which hts down
upon 1t.
This valve is made OF piece of sole leather half an
inch thick having plates OF iron attached TO il on bolh
the upper and corresponding under sde to give strength
the action OF the vacuum, which are perhaps
one fourth OF inch in thickness They are not quite
wide the leather, but wide enough 10 touch the
offset in the section.
The plates are about nine inches long, and their ends
apart forming joints as TO give the leather valve pia
blity, and the time rmness TO resist the power
fu atmospheric pressure which brought TO bear upon
when the exhausted The entire length Of The valve,
from end of the nbe TO the other, attached to
side, like cellar-do for example.
From the back side OF the piston, strong iron rod
passes through the aperture, which made by raising
up the edge of the valve and is attached to the bottom
OF the foremost As fast the piston passes along
the valve relieved from pressure behind IT, the loose edge
liberated and the bar OF iron which is attached to The
foot more behind the piston meets with no obsruc
tion 10 It's passage.
The pressure of the atmosphere on the valve in front
OF the piston where the still exists, is great
that there is danger OF The bar of iron exerng pres
far forward to loosen the piabe valve but TO
render the matter certain, and TO obviae all doubt
a slide the bottom Of the slips along the iron
plate of the valve and in advance OF the piston and
presses firmly down. Every part of the tube is kept
we'll oiled. The rate at which trains ascend varies
from fifteen to twenty miles the hour, according TO the
loa
When we went up there six very well filled
with passengers. After the ascent commences two
bridges the Seine, and one vaduct OF twenty feet
high. aud wide arches crossed, and long tunnel
through the brow OF the hill and under the Kings terrace
is passed, where the road is periodically curved.
The road has been in operation hve years, and
safely and well has worked that the experiment is
regarded entirely successful The OF the entire
machinery eleven millions of francs The cost OF
working 1t. the dividends which the road pays, did
not ascertain.