Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-05-24
The Atmospheric Telegraph.

When the world had recovered measurably
from the almost overwhelming sensation of won
derment produced by the achievements of the
electric telegraph, we may suppose that it was
fully prepared to award to that discovery the
title of uhamata thule of all invention. That
other inventions, and greater ones, would fol-
low in the lapse Of time, was perhaps more than
probable; that any discovery worthy to be COM
pared with this would be made, was deemed i'm
probable. 1t was reserved for Mr. Morse to
reach the eliminating point in the world of in
vention, and win this magnificent trophy for the
first half century. Such speculations also are
likely to prove premature, or to be accounted
but the ebullitions of old fogyism. A greater
than Morse is at hand. One I. s. Richardson,
by craft or cunning, which at an earlier day
would have brought his bones to the rack, pro-
poses to transfer tons of mail matter from the
city of Washington to New York within the
period of sixty minutes, or at the rate of five
miles minute. Mr.. Richardson has petitioned
to Congress for an appropriation to aid him in
doing this thing. At the last session bill was
reported in the Senate, which provides that the
sum of $4,000 be appropriated to enable the
Postmaster General to test the practicability
and usefulness of |. s. Richardson's atmosphe-
rio telegraph, not more than two feet in dame
ter, for the transportation of the United States
mails.
"An operative model" says the report, "25
feet long, is now being exhibited to members of
Congress and officers of the Government, in the
Rotunda, This machine transports letters,
packages, &c., at a speed of over 500 miles per
hour, with certainty and safety before I'M
known. whether curved or on q straight line.
"Wish this great speed, there are stations on
the line at which the load is stopped and chang
ed, in very short space of time, and then al
lowed to pass to anotherstation To produce
partial vacuum is as easy as to apply the power
in any other form, and as the load is progress
ing, the atmospheric resistance is obviated.
"The plunger goes forward without calcula-
BILE friction, and its touch is not sufficiently
great to create Objectionable heat.
The Engine, Tender and Fuel are stationary,
and the power used to draw them and their ap-
purtenances is saved.
"The actual cost of transportation is no more
than one-sixth of that of any other method, and
more than ten times as. FAST
The following short statement of mechanical
facts representing the Atmospheric Telegraph,
is given by the inventor:
l The area of atwo-feet plunger, is four hun
dred and ffty-two inches.
2 The pressure of one-fourth pound on each
inch is one hundred and thirteen pounds, 113
pounds tractive force draws seven tons.
8 A two-feet cylinder, forty miles long, con-
tans about GAG, 900 cubic feet of air.
One pump cylinder, twenty feet in dame
ter, and twenty feet long, contains six thou
sand cubic feet. Two of these pumps, double
acting, will exhaust "a, 900 cubic feet of air at
every turn of the shaft; therefore p turns of
the same will exhaust the number of cubic fee.
contained in the forty -miles cylinder.
5 Let the load of seven tons start from Balti-
more when the pumps are started at Washing
ton and we cannot see why the load will not
arrive at Washington as soon as the shaft has
made 81 revolutions-say FIVE minutes with a
pressure on the pumps equal to drawing the
load, viz: less than one-half pound to the inch.
Those who have examined this wonderful in
vention, are generally confident in their belief
of its practicability, and that grand results
must flow from its adoption by the government.
But. american.