The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-04-11
The Atmospheric Telegraph.

When the world had recovered measure
bly, from the almost overwhelming scnsa-
tion Of wondcrnemt produced by the q.
chlevcments of the telegraph, we may sup.
pose that it was fully prepared to award to
that discovery the title of ult;ma Mu,e OF
all inventions. That other Inventions, and
great ones, would follow in tho lapse of
time was perhaps more than probable
that any discovery worthy to he compared
with this would be ma'ir, was deemed i'm
probable. Ii was reserved for Mr.. Morse 10
reach the eliminating point in Tie world of
: Invention, and win this magnificent trophy
for this first half century. Such speculs-
lions also arc likely to prove premature or
to he accounted but tic ehullilions Of Cd
togyis'n. One I. S. Richardson, BY "craft Or
cunning." which at an earlier day woull
have brought his bones to the rack, propo-
ses to transfer tons Of mail matter from the
city Of Washington to New Yolk, within
the period Of sixty ,inutcs, or at tho rate O.
live miles " niin"' Mr.. Richardson las
peiitioncI Corgr IN appropriation to
a'd him IN doing ing. At The last
session q bill r;ed in the Senate
which provides /. ! e sum Of $4,000 bc
appropriated to enable the Postmaster Cen
eri'l to test the practicabIiiy aid usefulness
Icf |. 5. Richardson's atmospheric telegraph.
not more than two feet in diameter, for ihe
transportation Of the United States mail.
"An operative rnodcl," says the report.
"twent.J .J-iivc feet long, is now being exhibited
to members cf Congress and officers of the
Government, in the Rutvnda. This ma
chine transports letters, packages, DC, a: II
speed oi over five hundred miles per hour
with certainty and SAFETY hff,re unknown.
whether carved Or Oh Il straight line
With this great speed, tAer,. are st;.tiona
on The line at which the load is stopped and
changed, in a very short space Of time, an,
then allowed to pass another station. To
produce partial vacuum is rs easy rs to
apply the power in any other form; and
as the lc:t'l is progressing, the atmospheric
resistance is obyiatcl.
The X nngcr goes forward without cal
cuiab!c fi!c;lon, and its touch is not su!t
clentIy grcat;to create objectionable heat.
'lhe Engine, Gender oua Fuel. are sta =.
,ionary, and the power used 10 draw them
and their &ppurlcnances is saved.
The actual cost of transportation is no
more than one sixth that OF any other meth
od, and more than len times as fast"
The following short statement OF mecha-
lcal facts respecting the Atmospheric
Telegraph, is given by the inventor.
l. The area Of :; two foot ,,lunger. is four
hundred and fiiiv-two inches
2. The pressure Of onc-fourl pound on
each inch is one hundred and thirteen
pounds, and one hundred and thirteen pounds
at trar;ivc force draws seven tons.
3. \ two-tcct cylinder, forty miles long,
contains about 100000 cubic feet Of air.
4. One pump cylinder, twenty feet in di-
amc;cr, and twenty feet long, contains six
thousand cubic feet. Two Of these pumps,
double acting, will exhaust twenty-fuur
thousand cnbic feet Of air at every turn Of
the Shaft therefore, twcn!y-seven turns OF
the sam. will exhaust the number of cubic
feet contained in tile forty mile cylinder.
5. Let the load Of seven tons start from
Baltimore when the pumps are started at
Washington, and We cannot see why the
load will not arrive at Washington rs soon rs
the Shaft has made twenty revolutions
say five minutes, with pressure on the
pumps equal to drawing the load, viz !:
less than one.lalf pound to the inch
Those who have examined this wonder
iul invention, are generally confident in their
belief OF its practicnblity, and that grard
results must flow from its adoption by the
government.-Bultimo 1imericau.