Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-12-22
THE Atmospheric Telegraph"

Nv MANU-, huoptcu ny MT. i. -. hlCndTOSOn,
for his invention, which attracted so much atlen
ZION at the late Mechanics Fair hardly does JUS
tice to the thing, Telegraph signifies something
which ,crites at distance, and atmospheric, 10
many minds, is suggestive of something like
balloon or bubble. Mr.. Richardson presents
to the public nothing of either sort, but what
might properly be called new mechanical pow
er, whereby rapldity little short of the light
nihg's may be obtained, in the conveyance Of let
Iers and packages BY the old mechanical pow
ers nothing like this could be done. By pully
or tackle, small force or weight operating ,hro'
Il long time and space, moves an immensely
greater weight through less space. BY train
OF wheels ii slow motion may produce a very
rapid one. But neither wheel and axle, pulley,
lever, wedge, screw, or inclined plane, IN the
hands of Archimedes, or any of his successors,
has hitherto produced locomo,on applicable TO
the conveyance of parcels or persons over long
distances, with greater rapidly than that Of the
modern railroad car, say forty, fifty, or sixty
miles Oh hour. By Mr.. Richardson's moGe Of
managing the mobility and elasticity of the aif,
we may just as easily have rspidiy of 1000
miles an hour, for patceis, aud perhaps for per-
sons.
The velocity withswhich air travels TO fill
vacuum under its ordinary pressure of Is lbs 10
the square inch is enormous, far greater than
1000 miles an hour, TIL diminished by friction
against the walls Of the tube through which it
passes. M. Richardson proposes 10 have an air
tight tube 2 feet in dameter,l ,laid from Boston 70
Now York. To this equally dstribulad along
the line, we supposc-will be applied sufficient
number of pumps, worked by steam, to exhaust
it as often as it is desirable to transmit mail or
load Of packages. We will suppose, for ilustra-
tion, that the pumps are sufficient to exhaust the
whole tube in fifteen minutes to The extent of
two-lhrds of the pressure. This would require,
if we estimate correctly about one hundred and
eighty pumps, six feet in diameter and of six
stroke working about fifteen strokes per min
ute. The force necessary to work them mp to a
pressure Of 10 lbs. to the square inch would
amount 10 5000 horse power, calling horse
power that which is adequate to raise 1000 lbs.
But at the end OF one minute and a halfa press
ure would be produced of one lb. 10 the square
inch, equivalent to 450 lbs upon section oflhe
tube. And to work the pumps at this pressure
would require only 800 horse power.
A force adequate to raise weight Of $50 lbs.
ger constructed on Mr. Richardson's plan, with
a mail of 10000 half ounce letters attached to
it; and since it would act constantly upon line
! nearly horizontal, with almost no resistance, the
velocity of the load must be accelerated so as
to keep pace with the exhaustion, and the ex-
haustion being maintained at the same degree,
times Is minutes, or just % l2 minutes. Ia
point of fact far smaller power, we think,
would begin 10 work the pumps, and a load 1920
lbs would begin to move bfter two or three
strokes, and of course il could not fail to keep
pace with the exhaustion. But suppose it should
require 3G0 horse power 10 put through load of
45O lbs. in % 1-2 minutes, and we should allow
7 2 minutes for the preparation and starting of
each load; we should then have "a times 450
lbs-10S00 lbs. put through in IL hours At
25 cents per pound, this would yield $2,7OO-
sufficientto to pay an interest Of 10 per cent. on
cost of half million, and leave 81, 500 per day
for the working! This would good deal more
than support engines to the amount of $50 horse
power with men enough to tend them
AS the friction or resistance to the motion Of
very long column Of air in tube Is obviated
by Mr. Richardson's contrivance of valves to
bo opened behind the plunger by its passage
through the tube, and as the exhaustion if re-
quired, may 60 on simultaneously at many points
before the plunger, we can see no possible me-
chancal obstacle TO the complete success of this
novel enterprise. Just give 1t the capital neces-
sary for construction, and whatever that may be,
it must earn dn enormous profit. Here id all
opportunity for men of enterprise and foresight
to invest their money with margin. Having
the proper apparatus once in working order, ii is
as sure as facts and philosophy can make it, that
it will cost no more power or,momentum to con.
+, vey given load, say that which Adams g. Co.
carry daily to New York, in fifteen minutes, than
to do it in twelve hours-for forty-eight horse
power working fifteen minutes, is no more than
one horse power working twelve honrs. We gain
nearly the whole weight of the vehicle, having