The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-05-04
THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT.
What We Are Coming To-A Gigantic
Air Gun 1000 Miles LonS-The scheme
OF the Age.

What We Are Coming To-A Gigantic
Air Gun 2. 200 Miles LonS-The scheme
OF the Age.
Of all the utopian schemes ever SUI 2
mitted to the consideration OF IN III
dulgent Senate, perhaps the most au-
dacious is that composed. IN bill ln-
PRODUCED on the 29th of March by Mr..
Wilson "to authorize the construction
of pneumatic tube road between the
cities of New York and New Orleans. "
The corporation in this magnificent
scheme are as follows Albert Bris-
bane, Thomas J. Durant, William
Mullins, James NJ Ashley, Calvin Cone,
H. VI, Barnard and John B. Alley. The
capital stock is moderately fixed at
lone million shares of 500 each, or
800, 10000 in all, and, lest this
should not prove pneumatically ade-
quate to the wants OF the company,
they are authorized :" at any time, by
two thirds vote or approval of the
stockholders, to increase the stock od
Hbit,taa, or to issue any amount of
bonds at seven per cent, convertible
into stock at pleasure.
Apart from the glory attending such
an undertaking, the above named gen
tlemen have on previous occasions rem
dered themselves conspicuous by being
identified in pursuits which, if not 30
brilliant in conception as tho present
one, were quite as chimercial. At
former period of his life Mr.. Albert
Brisbane turned his inventive faculty
to pneumatic science, and ultimately
evolved a pl.n for propellng letters
and small parcels with almost tighten
ing velocity through hollow spheres.
It must notssys imagined, however, that
the aforesaid gentleman was the dis
coverer of the science of elastic fluids,
for the idea is quite hundred years
old, and was first started by French
man named Papin Mr. Brisbane OBJ
tanned patent for his scheme i'll 1869.
None of the various notifications Of
the invention hitherto applied have
been extetjea beyond the limits of q
single city nor have they been found
SO important, by the combination of
quick transit with economy of working,
as tolead to any general adoption OF
them. The principle ON which they
are operated IS very simple, and de-
ponds upon the action of ar pressure
to drivea solid piston (Which in most
cases is the oarriaoe) through vacuum
Il. e., an air exhausted tube.
In 1871 the first pneumatic dispatch
was carried into effect in London by
the postal authorities, who established
a Tube FROM the chief office to Euston
square terminus, distance of about
two miles. The system met with the
appreciation of the authorities, and is
still in use. Similar contrivances have
been in working in Paris and Berlin.
In the light of these facts the reader
may form some faint conception Of the
boldness of the grand scheme of a
g National Pneumatic Tube CoiHpa1y,
to build tube road in combination
with hollow Spheres" all the way from
New York to New Orleans, or over
two thousand miles, while the largest
tube road now existing is less than
two miles. The next thing Notable
about the scheme is that one third of
the cOrporators are ex members of
Congress, and well known and conspic-
uous figures in that fifth estate known
i'll Washington politics as the lobby,
James NJ. Ashley, John F. briggs, and
John 3. Alley were all in Congress
together five or SIX years ago.
The magnifcence of the project is I'M
bounded, for it not only included ma
tional pneumatic road, in combination
with hollow spheres, with a hundred
millions of dollars as minimum, but
also telegraph line and all the appur-
tances for making the same. This elias
tic and accommodating charter is to be
given to the corporation by Congress
as a gratuity-without even the sale
and perfunctory provision usual in such
charters, that The government shall
have the right of priority in transmit
ting dispatches and letters on payment
of the customary tariff.
Regarding this pneumatic undertak
ing the Cincinnati Commercial says -
When we see the refund form of Ashley
shot through "national pneumatic
tube with the Velocity, of catabult,
''in combination with hblloW shEbres,"
all the way from New York to New Or
leans, and coming out at the other end
in famboyant style, with unimpaired
appetite and curls, we shall be ready to
rhronitle s,he TACT for the benefit OF
| pOSterity