Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-13

ic tube. The profits Of such system Of
transmission would be immense. The peo-
pie need it, and would certainly use it ex-
tensvey, if it could be provided.
Recent plans aud experiments show that
the pneumatic tube not only is
possible, but perfectly feasible instrument
for the transmission Of letters and small
packages. 1t is proposed by New York
civil engineer to lay four-iuch pneumatic
pipe between New York and Chicago, by
way of beginning. Way stations are TO be
established at Cleveland, Buffalo, and pos.
sibly one other point. The pipe will be the
ordinary tubular kind in common use, and
the entire line will be made perfectly air.
tight, with brass stations at the points named.
The boxes for the conveyance of messages
will he made from sole leather, with wood
cir registers, as used in short pneumatic
tubes. Engines of 25 horse power TO drive
the air pumps, will be placed at the termini,
and smaller ones at the way stations. Seven
teen 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 Oh
op rating, MS far as revealed at present, will
be about as follows: Commencing at
o'clock a. M, Washington time. the boxes
containing through packages will be fed in the
tube at Chicago and blown toward New York
while the Chicago pump is filling the tube
and the New York pump is exhausting the
air. The last box, started at Chicago at G3O
will have patent signal attachment, which,
at Cleveland automatically announces Its
arrival. The local boxes are then inseeted
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 traiiic Tor
the following four hours, and so on, alter
nately, day and night. 1t is expected that
during each period of four hours 1000 boxes
can be transmitted, each earning about So in
frcights or SIG during the "a hours, being
an aggregate of sig 900 per day for the line.
The cost of operating it is estimated at only
"
men (rcpairers), so station operators, and
100 delivery and collection messengers, hence
the net earnings can reach the enormous ag-
gregate of $3,O00,000 annually-at least ii is
thus figured out on paper But even allow
ing very wide margin for errors and omis-
sions, the profit Of operating the pneumatic
pipeline promises to be very large. The
cost of laying the line will be something less
than $1,000 per mile, and the entire expense
will not exceed 81, $50, 900.
Now what are the obstacles in the way OF
ayiag this experimental ppe-for every new
scheme or venture has its obstacles. The
first is the difficulty of securing the right of
way. But as tie pipe is 10 pass underground
in the cities it certainly does not seem as
though any serious objection could be urged
against it by the municipal authorities
and as for the greater part OF the way
it is to follow the railroad lines pri-
va,e property holders can have nothing
to complain of. 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 pedcstals or
swun. along the base Of fences. In crossing
country roads it will be swung on short poles
Three telegraph wires will be attached TO and
extend along the pipe to be used for cleo
trio signaling between stations.
Ono immense advantage Of pipe between
New York and Chicago will be the facility
which it will afford for the transmission of
grain-so great, indeed, that many engineers
think it would be advisable to lay separ-
ate pipe for this purpose alone. 1t IS esti-
mated that 50, 900 bushels of grain conld he
carried daily between Chicago and New
York, at the average rate of ten cents per
bushel. Grain placed in the tube at Chicago
would arrive at New York in about five
hours and the grain, it is claimed, would be
improved in transit, as it would pass through
a patent dust-pan upon its discharge into the
New York elevator
We have no doubt that the capitalists of
New York and the great West will push this
very promising scheme, and that the success
of the tube between the principal cities of the
East and West will be such as to induce cap
italsts throughout the country to provide the
means for laying pneumatic tubes between
all our large cities and towns.