Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-03-16
MOVING SIDEWALK.

The imperative demand in large cities
for some means Of travelling quickly from
point to point calls forth some novel do.
signs for securing rapid transit. The
most curious that has yet been projected
is plan, slready patented, for . moving
sidewalk, which shall bc in perpetual mo.
tion, carrying pedestrians at the rate Of
ten miles On hoar, speed which they can
increase by their whole power of independ
ent locomotion. The inventor is Mr. Albert
Spear, whose previous achievements have
been mainly confined to tho manufacture
Of wine and bittcs. The particulars OF
the plan are briefly these: 1t is proposed
to have series Of pillars along the outer
verge Of the cubstones, rising to height
of the second story Of ordinary buildings
Space between tho tops Of these pillars
and the building adjacent is to be side.
walk, one half Of which is movable, aud
the other half stationary; this to be reached
at every corner by a stairway. Oa the in.
ner or stationary walk pedestrians can pass
back and forth at their leasure, entering
the stores aud Offices which might then
occupy the second story of the building
and be entered Immediately from the
streets. The other half Of the walk, made
Of sort of lattice work and moving on
small trucks, which are beneath tho sur
| face and altogether concealed from view. is
propelled at the rate of ten miles an hour
by engines beneath the surface of the
ground, at sseh intervals as may be neccs-
sary to secure the requisite power. The
sidewalk is moved by friction rollers.
worked upon shafts which pass up through
the upright pillars, and on one side of the
streets passes up, and on the other side
down, continually night and day. Ga this
moving roadway pedestrians may stand, or
occupy the numerous chairs and scttces
thereon provided, and be travelling on
toward their destination at the the rate of
ten miles an hour, or, if so enclined, can
xalk at fall speed in the same direction,
thereby adding four or five miles an hour
to their rate Of progress.
The Gost ingenious part Of tho whole
contrivance is the device for getting or aud
off this moving pathway. The pedestrian
noSBts 20 tAe stationary walk, aud then if
he we're to step from this to the moving
one he would Of course be suddenly Aoorei.
To prevent such catastrophe, there is
series of seats iugeuiously contrived to
move partly on the stationary walk. These
are stopped by applying brake, which
releases them to run GA their own trucks
on the stationary ones where they are
readily stopped. The passenger takes his
seat, the conductor takes his fare, the
brakes are reversed, and Immediately the
seat moves on, and the traveller can leave
it without the risk Of breaking his neck
All this is very curious and novel, but
Aow abost its praet;eabilitys We are told
that several competent engineers have ex-
amined into the plan, and pronounce it
entirely feasible and far less expensive
than any that has been broaohed before
for carrying citizens rapidly Up saA down
town, or back aud forth between distant
points. The machinery will work with
very little noise, and that will b. coatiu-
uous, and therefore scarcely noticeable;
there will be no danger of accident, and
the contrivance can be pat Sp ia any
street, long or short. where it may be re-
suMed. 1t is said that an attempt is to be
made very soon to demonstrate the feast.
bility of this scheme, probably on Cham
bers street, from Pavonia ferry to Broad.
way. Whether it proves successful or not,
the project is very curious and ingenious,
and Therefore attract no small degree Of
attsntion.-N Y. World.