The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-06-28
THROUGH THE TUBE.
Pneumatic Pipo Limo from New York to
Chicago.


Pneumatic Pipo Line from New York to
CHICAGO, June IA novel and in.
teresting enterprise was this week
brought to light through the medium of
a 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
developed, are 10 lay four.inch iron
pipe tor the purpose Of transmitting let
ters, messages, grain samples, jcwelry
and other light parcels at n maximum
tariff Of ten cents for packages and five
cents for letters, &c. Way stations will
be established at Cleveland. Buffalo and
possibly enc ether point The pipe wi!l
bo the ordinary tubular kind in com
mon use, and tho entire liUe will be
made perfectly air.tight, with brass sta
tlons at the points named. The boxes
for the conveyance of messages will be
made from sole leather, with wool air.
ressters, rs 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 to working the line.
The plan of operating, Us Gar AZ re.
vealed at present, will be about as fol-
.0ws: Commanding al c O'Clock :. IT,,
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 ex.
hausting the air. The last box started at
Chicago at $50, will have a patent sig
nsl 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 Mt 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, alternately, day and night. 1t ia
expected that during each period of
four hours thousand boxes can be trans
mitted, each earning about 81 in freights,
or $l2 during the twenty four hours,
the line. Tie Cost of Operating is esti.
mated at only SLIPS daily, which in.
ccludes three hundred pipe section men
(repairers(, fifty station operators and
one hundred delivery and collection
messengers, hence the net earnings can
reach the enormous aggregate of 81, ,O0O,.
600 annually-at least It is thus figured
out on paper. Bat even allowing n very
wide margin for errors and omissions,
the profit of operating the Pneumatic
pigs Line promises to be very large.
The cost of laying the line will be
something less than 81 900 per mile, .nd
the entire plant will not exceed 81, $50.
600. The projectors confidently antici-
pate an immediate profit of 20 per cent.
upon the investment.
The next serious obstacle to the pres.
ent consummation Of the singular scheme
is the right os way, but it is said the
parties interested have been secretly OBJ.
tanning this at little cost. The pipe will
be placed under ground in the cities, but
the bulk of the lines will extend along
tracks of certain railroads, the pipe in
most instances being attached to and
swung from the ends of the ties. For
certain short distances for connecting
links, the pipe will pass through fields
and along country roads, where it will
be placed on short lacks" or pedestals,
or swung along the base of fences. In
crossing country roads it will be swung
on short poles. Three telegraph wires
will be attached to and extended along
the pipe, to be used for electric signal
ling 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 profit of $4,000. 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 De continually charged
from the bins of the principal elevators
here and delivered at O general central
elevator at New York. The grain, it is
would be improved In transit
as it would pass through q patent dust
fan upon its discharge into the New
York elevator. Tie capacity of the line
being only about 100000 bushels an.
nualiy, 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 conference to be held on the 26th !
Instant, the full details will be made |
public.