Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1855-03-03
Atmospheric Telegraph.

name the operating mouet oil an "AtiHOs-
pheric Telegraph" pa,enedby Mr. Iihiel
5. Richardson, now 10 he seen in the
Senate's Committee RoG,a on PENSIONS.
This invention is Inns described by the
special committee appointed TO investigate
the subjecI;
at consists of horizontal tube Of
one inch clear diameter, one half o. which
is straight, while the other half contains
curves, designed TO represent the sinuosi-
ties of the tube pa sing over uneven
ground. One small airPump, placed
near its centre and co nmunicaliag with
either end Of Il, exhausts il at pleasure
from left TO right or from right to left. A
piston, or plunger. three inches long, and
fitting the tube loo e'y, bat followed by
several detached disks. or washers of
leather, which accurately fit it, is inserted
in one end Of the tube, separated by cut
off, and few strokes of the pump pro-
duce in the tube partial vacuum. The
cutoff is then reversed, and the plunger,
SCI free en- The SIDE Of the rac,tum, reiieu-
ed from The resistance Of the air in The
tube. and propelled alone by the pressure
OF the atmosphere, passes througl~it in
,ime wholly inapPreciable by ordinary
means. The cutoff may be dispensed
with; for if the plungcr, with lis miniature
mailbag attached, be placed in one end Of
lie tube and the pump be worked il will
move (supposing an absence Of Teighf
and friction) with The first stroke Of lhe
pump, which destroys the equilibrium be-
tween The iplsrnal and external atmos-
phere; and The degree of exhaustion neccs
sary to produce this momentpm must de-
pend upon the weight and friction Of tie
plunger apd lis attachmcnts.
This mode! works admirably, and,
without going into details of its consruc-
lion, it seems TO have orercome all diDi-
caLtiey, and some mhich hare been long
supposed insnperaJIe IN the practical
operations fhe atmospheric telegraph"
The committee, after entering into
some details which are moi of interest TO
lhe general reader, recommend an appEo-
pration of SIS, 900 TO make test of the
utility Of the invention, under the direc-
ton OF the Postmaster General. They II
say:
iii is deemed expedienl that the expe-
rimen, should be made for short distance
upon an established mail route, in order
that, if successful, il might constitute a
part of more extended work; and your
committee has been disposed to prescribe
a direct line between W ashington and Bal,
unore. 1t has, therefore, concluded 10
leave the question 10 the Postmaster Gen
eral, and report bill accordingly.
"Il is impossible to foreshadow, the
multiplied and incalculable advantages
which will result from such mail carrier
as Mr.. Richardson's proposition dlscIoses,
''All the business pursuits and habits
of our country were radically changed by :
lie introduction of railroads.
After describing the progress Of railroads
and lelegraphs, and referring 10 the char
acteristics of the age, .'when every man
seems TO be competitor against time,
when mal2mon is IN the ascendant, and
the diclum that 'time is money lmpresses {
itself upon all the affairs OF life; when
hours, minutes, and sepon&s are pounds,
shillings, and pence, the committee lhink,)
Mr.. Richardson's proposition comes upon
Us to supply link which is conlessedy
wanting
The committee conclude by saying:
'.Tae l2ail between Washington and
New York is now carried upon railroad
in twelve hours, If your committee do
not greatly err, the same mails may be
carried between these cities IN two hours
bv the proposed atmospheric telegraph,
and the expenditure now necessary for the
transmission of one set of mails would
enable the Post Office Department to send
Elk sets of mails every twelve hours.
The impulse winch such a frequent,
rapid, and certain delivery Of the mails
between distant points would give 10 all
The business Of the country is incalcula-
BILE. Operating with as MUCH safety and
unerring certainty in night as i'll daylight;
unaffected by changes OF seasons or wea-
Their; and exempt from liability 10 those
msclances, accidents, and delays which
are daily re!aFding the delivery of the
mails throughout the country, the atmos-
pheric telegraph seems destined 10 become
The exclusive mail carrier of The age"
The bill reported 10 the Senate by Mr..
Shields proposes to appropriate $4,000
to enable The Postmaster General TO test
The practicablity and usefulness of J. S.
Richardson's atmospheric telegraph, not
more than two feet in diameter, Tor the
transportation Of the United States mails.
Such an appropriation is not without pre-
cedent. Congress authorized experiments
I'D, IL ,olocroDb - hon tho invention