New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-13
PNEUMATIC RAILWAY POWER.


y advances of science, the way Of progress
yet seems strange. All providential thing
& seem strange to us, because we know s.
: little about providence, and care SO mucl
less. If men were habituated to tn
thought even that some everything powe
disposes, however they propose, the.
would find within themselves reader
means of comprehending, and more facil
ity in applying the phenomenal wonders
that so frequently, in these later days, leave
us as they find us-astonished, merely
and unprepared for the advantages provi
dentially provided, as well as insensible
to our loss from so obdurate an igno-
rance.
We are old enough, besides being pen
ridden by destiny, to have learned watch
fulness of providential ways and we
sometimes guess prophetically concerning
the phenomenal works of providence,
which men go about doing, unknowing
why, and perform, scarce knowing how.
And we run just here upon the appro-
pirate mention of basic error in the very
social foundations of the wide, wide world,
as old as civilizations, and which will not
occur to our readers till such mention be
duly made. This error lies in the uni
versal conviction that the wisdom of the
present day is derived from olden
times, and the more ancient the more
wise; whereas, in very truth coming
| events cast not their shadows, but their
light, before them, and we see our way
darkly as through pneumatic tunnel, into
marvels which would, on the
one hand, as much amaze the
Athenians Of twenty centuries ago,
could their eyes behold them, as would
the Athens Of to-day, could they see it,
peopled as it is with brigands and shop
ifters, on the other Yet our own people
are more or less attaining to the Indian
gift of self-control- abnegating the APP
pearance of surprise-unless at surprise
parties on the occurance of any wonders,
however inherently amazing and however
got We are learning to respond to ex-
pectations of phenomenal surprise by
such calculations as Every likely" and
1--WE shouldn't wonder" but the marvel |
lous qualification still remains in spite
thereof, and Of the heavy wet supplied by |
the numerous Jenny Twitchers of society |
who incontinently ignore everything with
the exclamation, ''wot ov it ?"
About ten years ago we read a book |
called "McPenetratia, written, we be-
lieve, with no view to revolutionize
science, nor to revolutionize society, but
! philosophical book, in which was con-
aimed an unconcerned statement, now APP
parently coming into prophecy, to the
effect that air should presently become the
means by which railroad cars we're to be
propelled throughout all the cities of the
civilized world. The cry for air at this
ime in the great city of New York, as at
ested by its journals, would seem to be
he unquestionable forerunner of its real
cation, while the developments toward
PRACTICAL success in our own city, under
he auspices of the Incorporated pneu-
natic company, seems destined speedily
0 make assurance doubly sure.
1t is by the events of the last two years l
n our own city, and not by the memory
f such book, or by any providential in
tincts that we have been led to these re- '
1arks. 1t was in September, 1868, as we I
Earn, that the incorporation We refer to a
rst proceeded to patent its various dis t
overies or inventions and to put in ope- I
ation the principles of enginery, or of c
ropulsion, on which it relied for the at C
'inment of this great object The popu- t
r confidence, when it became known, il
'emed spontaneous, for without appar- n
1t cause its stock became a favorite n
fancy" and with ready operators in tt
duly confident and blind, it O
n to figure Of moment, say fifty fold c.
J nominal value. Then, on ex- "
sriment it became disappointment al
I'd pain to many. Its friends had N
lcountered losses and the why of such Il
ent was as inexplicable as the initial al
by, for first experiments in new fields of az
fence always fail. Transactions ceased, r
1t courage and confidence remains with Ell
stockholders, who refused succor and il
bsided into work. 1t was said there
d been conflict in the department of the CT
ling wisdom, and hence, disaster. 1t 81
IS said there was frailty in the brain st
lntain, and that it supplied weakness in 81
ice Of power. But anyhow our local
eumatics were not f,tnctus, nor ever OBJ
etc, but remained in process of growth,
d now, we learn, are expected to flower ~
about the next ides in the calendar. VI
In the meantime the idea of propelling ~
Get cars by means less mulish than by VI
ans of mules, and at less cost, branched =.
of the realm of pneumatics and be- ~
ne quickener to various inventive ali
nds. Several substitutes for the dis "'
nfted air engine were announced in Oh
n and rapidly evoked. A marvel of an
pular credulity eliminated in the ap- I'll
oval of plan by which one or more un- Pr
ppy men, and much reluctant ma La
merry, We're to do the work of propelling LII
lieu of the emancipated and rejoicing co
lie. This stock was dispensed by hun to'
'ds OF shares, at weak figure to be uu
- Ev