The weekly clarion., 1872-12-12
PNEUMATIC TRANsPoRTA-
TuDN
The Experimental Tube from he Clpaoi
10 t1e Government Printing O65os
iB Washington
From the Washington star.

FROM the abulngJOu star
The pneumatic tube, about which 80
much has beeen said within the past
| quarter Of d century, viii soon he oun-
structed and put 70 "A practical test bo-
tween the Capitol and the Government
Printing Office Reference has hereto.
fore been made 70 the project of Mr.. Al
bert Brisbane. Congress, il will be- re-
membered, at the last session appropriat-
| ed 1915, 900 10 construct a tube between
| the Capitol and Government Printing
Office, and, rs the work Of laying il win
soon he commenced, there will no doubt
be much interest felt in its completion and
practical working. Pneumatic tubes are
now successfully working short distances
IN New York, London, Paris and Ber-
lin, but they are constructed on a differ.
ent plan from that Of Mr.. Brisbane. the
vehicle in those tubes being run ON wheels.
while in that Of Mr. b. il is not.
and consequently much loss by friction is
avoided. Mr. Brisbane claims that he
can transmit packages through a tubs
from New York 10 San Francisco by hoL
low spheres in the tube, and eXhausting
the air from the other end from that in
which the sphere ID started. thus creating
a vacuum, causing the atmospheric pres-
sure OF fifteen pound TO the square inch,
to drive the sphere through rapidly
The tube is made Of pine slaves Of three
or four inches wide, one inch thick, put
together in circular form, and securely
fastened with heavy iron hoops at inter
walls of four or five feet. Several coat
ings Of thick paper are then wrapped
around it TO make it perfectly air-tight,
and the tube is placed in the trench, So
curely packed in clay. Before il il put
together, however, tho wooden slaves are
subject 10 n steam exhaustion of sixty
pounds pressure to the square inch,
which drives out the sap and cOngoalF
the albumen. They are boiled in
preparation of resin and linsosd oil to
make them perfectly waterproof. Tho
inside diameter will be thirty-one inches,
and that Of the sphere thirty inches
The entire length Of it viii he 3 200
feet.
The machinery 10 work it consists Of
two small engines, one in the Capitol and
the other in the printing office, with O.
single telegraph wire between the two
points, two air-pumps and blowors, one
Of each at each end. Parcels TO be trans
mitted from one building ~ the other
will be placed in the sphere, the signal
given 10 the man at the other end by
the telegraph wire 10 start the engine
there, which exhausts the air from the
end, and the atmospheric pressure upon
the ball soon starts il toward It's destina-
ton. The exhaust is kept up, and the
natural pressure behind the ball carries
it along at a rapid rate, not more than
two and a half or three minutes being
consumed from the Capitol to the print
ing Office. To send it the other way will.
however, require one or two minutes
longer, as there il an ascent Of about for
ty-five feet from the printing-office 10 the
Capitol. The exhausting machinery at
the Capitol will need to be more power
fu than at the other end on account Of
this ascent and the greater force requisite
TO bring the sphere up. The inventor
Claims that the atmospheric pressure
alone will drive the sphere through the
tube; but if necessary the machinery can
also be used m force air in the rear Of
the ball, which will increase it, motion.
There Will be dozen or more of these
spheres, some made Of wood, some Of thin
steel, and others Of papier mAehe. The
material for the tube has al been prepar-
ed and it is expected here daily, when
the work Of laying it will be commenced.
In fact, workmen have alreadycommeno.
ed cutting through the north wall Of the
foundation Of the Capitol, through
which the tube is to be carried. Mr..
Brisbane expects TO have il completed
and working in the course of "A couple Of
mOnths.