The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-21

A novel and interesting enterprise
was this week brought to light through
the medium of a New York civil en-
gineer who is here in connection with
the establishment of a pneumatic pipe
line between New York and Chicago.
Inc plans, as partly developed, are to
lay a four-inch iron pipe for the pur-
pose OF transmitting letters, messages,
grain samples, iewelry 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-
tectly 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 orlginators 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 O. clock a. M,
Washington time, the boxes containing
through packages will be fed into the
tube at Chicago and blown toward New
Y6slz, 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 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
so on, alternately day and night. 1t is
expectedthat during each, period of four
hours thousand boxes can be trans
mitted, each earning about So in
freights, or S12 during the twenty-four
hours, being an aggregateof $4,000
per day for the line. The cost of ope-
rating is estimated at only 81, 1875 daily,
which includes 300 pipe section men
(repairerS), fifty station operators and
100 delivery and collection messengers;
hence the net earnings can reach the
enormous aggregate Of S3,O00,0OO an
nually-at least it is thus figured out on
paper. But even allowing 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 81, ESQ.,
900. The projectors confidently antici-
pate an immediate profit of twenty per
cent. upon the investment.
The next serious obstacle to present
consummation 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
to and swung from the ends of the ties
For certain short distances for connect
ing links, the pipe will pass through fields
&c placed on s5rt Hae lacks 8fhfEs il ii
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 10000 bushels could be
carried daily for ten cents per bushel, at a
profit of 81, 900. 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 Gust-fan upon its discharge into
the New York elevator. The capacity
of the line being only about 100000
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.