The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-03-05
,Isi6proveaents In street Travel.

\, sHt4proverRents I'm Street Travel.
rio Broadway Pneumatic. Railway. as
Ei3n In New York On Saturday, sfternn0n
20 8. number ofS inviteR guasts. The
EsntIAIee is dowr stairs ID the sbaseussnt
oorEeS Broadwag md Warren stEeet,
EwherSis nicely furnished Office, re-
cep$ioA rooms, q depot, a steam engine,
DC. ID the depot is q car. about the size
or those that run in the streets, and
very similar in appearance, while stretch
ing 10 the North is circular tunnel.
about large enough for man to stand
up in. This tunnel, which ia lighted by
gas jets, has q covering FIRST of iron and
then OF brick. The Post, after de-
scribing the tunnel, remarks:
'"The present length of the tunnel is
294 feet and six inches, and fifty eight
days and ten hours were consumed in
constructing it. Tho track is twenty ON 9
feet under the surface of Broadway, and
the only circumstance which would indi-
cate that the visitor is under busy
thoroughfsre, is the constant rumblipg of
vehicles overhead. The car is built to
conform to the shape Of the tunnel, be-
ing semi-circular in form. It has COM
Portable accommodations for twenty
persons. The machinery is of imm ems @
power, and of very fine workmanship.
"When the tunnel is completed the
cars will be propelled by the suction of
the wind, which will be aroused by an
enormous wooden fan. Four men are
continually employed tunneliug aud
daily dig out four feet of earth, which is
taken to the surface. The tunneling is
done by hydraulic pressure. The shield,
oval in form, is pressed in the earth, no
dirt being removed except what is ne
oessary for making the hole.
"When the road is done, one can
travel from the Battery to the Central
Park in ten minutes. The company at
first intended only having it for convey
ing parcels, but soon discovered the
utility of running passenger cars. The
road in being built could not run into
sewers, for the reason that the line is be-
low them"
Tho elevated railway in Green wich
street, New York, is now completed for
its entire length. from the Battery to
Thirtieth street. The motive power
on this road is stationary, and consists
Of seven engines, each with two oscillat-
ing cylinders, nine inches in diameter
and fourteen inch stroke, and of thirty
horse power. These engines are situated
in vaults under the sidewalk, and are
placed at intervals along the line. The
engine for each division turns driving
wheel, which propels an endless rope
passing round cylinder at the other ex-
tremity OF the section Attached to this
rope, at distances of $50 feet, are small
trucks with diminutive wheels. which run
on wooden track underneath and be-
tween the main track. These trucks are
arneda with q small slot to and from
which the passenger cars can be attached
and detached by lever in front, under
the control of the conductor. The pas
senger cars run on eight wheels, and are
built on frame-work, protected by clip.
tic springs from the sudden jar of the
rope when the connection is made with
the truck. The wheels of the car are of
wood, with iron tires, and the motion is
nearly noiseless. When it is desired to
start the car, the conductor moves the
lever, which is caught by the first truck,
and the car is carried along until the lever
is again detached and the break applied
to the aXles.