The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-07-21
The Newest t'avt Mail.

was this week brought to light through
the medium of New York civil en-
gineer, who is here in connection with
The establishment of pneumatic pipe
line between New York and Chicago.
The plans, as partly developed, are to
lay four-inch iron pipe for the pur-
pose of transmitting letters, messages,
grain samples, jewelry and other light
parcels at 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 or
binary tubular kind in common use,
and the entire line will be made per-
fectly air-tight. with brass stations at
the points named. The boxes for the
conveyance of messages will be made
from sole leather, with wool air-resist-
ers 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 avail
able in working the line.
The plan of operating, as far as re-
vealed at present, will be about as fol-
lows: Commencing at six clock a. M,
Washington time, the boxes containing
through packages will be fed into the
tube at Chicago and blown toward New
York, while the Chicago pump is filling
the tube and the New York pump is cx-
hausting the air. The last box, started
at Chicago at $50. will have a patent
signal attachment, which, at Cleveland,
automatically announces its arrival.
The local boxes are those inserted there,
and, later on, at Buffalo. The last box
will arrive at New York at ten 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
50 on, alternately day and night 1t is
expected that during each period of four
hours thousand boxes can be trans
mitted, each earning about 50 in
freights, or $l2 during the twenty four
hours, being an aggregate Of $4,000
per day for the line. The cost of ope-
rating is estimated at only 81. 125 daily,
which includes 800 pipe section men
(repairers), fifty station operators and
100 delivery and collection messengers;
hence the net earnings can reach the
enormous aggregate of $3.000,000 an
nually-at least it is thus figured out on
paper. But even allowing q very wide
margin for errors and omissions, the
profit of operating the pneumatic pipe
line promises to be very large.
The cost of LAYING the line will be
something less than $4,000 per mile, and
the entire plant will not exceed 1850
900. The projectors confidently antici-
pate an immediate profit of twenty per
cent. upon the investment
The next serious obstacle to present
contamination Of the singular scheme is
the right of way, but it is said the par
ties interested have been secretly OBJ
tanning this at little cost. The pipe
will be placed under ground in the cit
les, but the bulk of the lines will extend
along tracks of certain railroads, the
pipe, in most instances, being attached
10 and swung from the ends of the ties
For certain short distances for connect
ing links, the pipe win pass through fields
and along country roads, where it will
be placed on short lacks" 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 attached to and extending along
the pipe, to be used for electric signal
ing 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 $4,000 bushels could be
carried daily for ten cents per bushel, at a
profit of $1,000. Grain placed in the
tube here would arrive in New York in
about five hours, the transfer time be-
ing somewhat longer than by the mes
sage line. Appliances are now being
experimental with by which, with the
aid of automatic attachments, the grain
pipe line would be continually charged
from the bins of the principal
elevators here and delivered at gen
eral central 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 elevator The capacity
of the line being only about $4,000, 000
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
Chicago Cor. indianapolis Journal
Two Curious Needles.