The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-03-14
A Railroad to the Moon.

At one of the trials of an aerial rail-
way in Virginia City, there was pres
ent a pale, slight-built young man who
SO many, in fact, and so pointed, that
the latter finally asked him if he had
any prior knowledge of the invention.
The young man replied that he had
not, but that he was perfecting an in-
vention which would prove to be one of
the most important Of modern times.
Although closely pressed by report
ers and others present at the trial, he
refused to make any farther statement
concerning his invention, and the Incl
dent was soon forgotten.
About three o'clock on the afternoon
of Feb. %, as the shifts were being
changed at the Consolidated Virginia
Works. Chronicle reporter standing
near the shaft noticed miner who had
Just come up the shaft whose face
struck him as familiar. After a mo-
ment's thought the reporter became
satisfied that the young man was the
pale, slight young man. Following him
as he descended from the changing
room, the reporter addressed him, when
he exclaimed:
"l am glad to have met you, as /
want to explain my invention to you.
l was not ready to speak when l met
you at Mclntosh's, some months ago,
as my invention was not perfected, and
had no patent. But it is ready now.
l received cavcat from Washington
last week, and l don't mind showing up
my plan to you. If you will come with
me to my cabin will show you my in
vention and explain it."
The reporter acceded, and the cabin
only two blocks distant from the
mine-was soon reached. Locking the
door behind him, the young man
opened large chest, from which he
took small model of an air compressor
of nearly the same pattern as those in
the Comst0ck mines, but mounted or
wheels; also three four-wheeled cars,
and delicate ladder about four feet
long and three inches wide.
.sThis," said Alfred Marsden CHATS
his name), "is railway, and that is
the train. You are probably aware
that the nitrogen, oxygen and ozone, o.
which the atmosphere is composed. car
be both liquefied and solidified separate
ly. This is not much more difficult
than COMPRISING air; it can be dons
by the same process and with the same
kind of machine; only the machine
will have to be much stronger, since
whereas air is only compressed to foul
atmospheres, will have to compress.
each Of the elements of which it is com
posed to pressure equal to at leas
100, 900 atmospheres.
"This is all my secret. All my in
vention. propose to liquefy the at
mosphere and then solidify it. Yot
can say that | propose to freeze it, i
you will, and you will not be out of tn,
way, as that is what it amounts to
The balance of my invention is simpl,
the application of the railway princi
pie on stupendous scale. / shall star
my air-compressor to work, the com
pressed air being elected in the shape
Of molecules that will have such
strong affinity that they will unite th,
instant they are elected, and will form
. solid roadway upon which the rail
viii be laid in sections, the train ad
vancing as the way is ready. Their,
will be no delay, as the air will be com
pressed and elected instantly with tn
same velocity as strong wind, &nd tn
train will travel at the rate of 200 mile
or more per hour.
:" AZ the compressed air will have
temperature Of 1854 degrees belov
zero, no natural heat can melt it, en-
| It win thus form road-bed, that vii
always be smooth and compact. 1t vii
never get out Of order and will not COS
. cont Tor repairs. ] will give it . grad
Of 46 degrees, 80 that for every mile Q
travel one win Be gained in height. i
3 comparatively short time the moo
VII Be Feached, and communication ca