The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-20

"A I-n0uIuAtlC 1uDe IrOAn CHlCakO 10 NC"
York for Transmitting Light Parcels.
Chicago Letter.
A novel and interesting enterprise was
this week brought to light through the me-
dunn OF New York civil engineer, who is
here in connection with the establishment
of pneumatic pipe line between New York
and Chicago. The plans, as partly devel-
oped, are to lay four-inch iron pipe for the
purpose of transmitting letters, messages,
grain samples. jewelry and other light
parcels at a maximum tariff Of ten cents for
packages and five cents for letters, etc. Way
stations will be established at Cleveland,
Buffalo and possibly one other point. The
pipe will be the ordinary tubular kind in
common use, and the entire line will be
made perfectly alright, with brass sta
lions at the points named. The boxes for
the conveyance of messages will be made
from sole leather, with wool air-resisters as
used in short pneumatic tubes. Engines OF
twenty-five horse power, to drive the air
pumps will be placed at the termini, and
smaller ones at the way stations. Seventeen
patents for various devices have been secured
by the originators of the scheme, and no
doubt some of them will be made available
in working the line.
The plan of operating, as far as revealed
at present, will be about as follows: Com
mencing ats O'Clock A, NJ, Washington time,
the boxes containing through packages viii
be fed into the tube at Chicago and blown
toward New York, while the Chi
cago Jump is filing the tube and
the New York pump is exhaustiRg the air.
The last box, started at Chicago at $50, will
have a patent signal attachment, which, at
Cleveland, automatically announces its ar
rival. The local boxes are those inserted
there and, later on at Buffalo. The last box
will arrive at New York at 10 o'clock, the
trip being made in about four hours Then
the line is cleared for west-bound traffic for
the following four hours, and so on alter
nately day and night. 1t is expected that dur
ing each period of four hours thousand
boxes can be transmitted, each earning
about 50 in freights, or $12 during the TWEEN
ty-four hours, being an aggregate OF $l2,OO0
per day for the line. The cost of operating
Is estimated at only LIPS daily, which in
cludes 300 pipe section men (repairers), fifty
station operators and 100 delivery and col
lection messengers; hence the net earnings
can reach the enormous aggregate of So ,OOO,-
600 annually-at least it is thus figured out
on paper. But even allowing a very wide
margin for errors and omissions, the pront
of operating the pneumatic pipe line prom
ises to be very large.
The cost of laying the line will be some
thing less than 81, 900 per mile, and the en-
tire plant will not exceed S. $50, 600. The
projectors confidently anticipate an immedi-
ate profit Of 20 per cent upon the invest
ment.
Inc next serious OpSJdCle 10 prSSGnL COu-
summation of the singular scheme is the
right of way, but it is said the parties inter
ested have been secretly obtaining this at lit
tie cost The pipe will be placed under
ground in the cities but the bulk of the lines
will extend along tracks of certain rGI-
roads, the pipe, in most instances, belaS
attached to and swung from the ends of the
ties. For certain short distances for connect
ing links, the pipe will pass through fields
and along country roads, where it will be
placed on short Jacks or pedestals, or
swing along the base of fences. In crossing
country roads it will be swung on short
poles. Three telegraph wires will be at
tached to and extended along the pipe, to be
used for electric signaling between stations.
At least one engineer believes the scheme
feasible one, and if it proves a success it is
| thought another pipe line will be added for
the transfer exclusively of grain from Chicago
to New York, by which method so, GOO bush
els could be carried daily for 10 cents per
bushels. at a profit of 81, 500. Grain placed
| in the tube here would arrive in New York
| in about FIVE hours. the transfer time being
somewhat longer than by the message line.
Appliances are now being expermented with
by which, with the aid of automatic attach
ments the grain pipe line would he continu-
ally charged from the bins of the principal
| elevators here and delivered at general CEN
trail elevator at New York. The grain it is
claimed would be improved in transit, as
| it would pass through a patent dust-fan
upon its discharge into the New York ele-
| vator. The capacity of the line being only
about 49, O0O, 900 bushels annually, it would
not seriously interfere with railway traffic.
The projectors of the enterprise state that
| the money necessary to carry out the plans
expeditiously is pledged, and, at a confer
ence to be held on the Goth inst, the full de-
tails will probably be made public.