Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
FOUR MILES A MINUTE
A Plan to Improve the Mail Serice by
Pneumatic Tubes.

From the New York sun.
There is a project under way to rctce the
mail service between New York and hladel-
phia to twenty-five minutes. doulepneu-
matte tube line is to be built betwcnthese
two cities, through which mail matte vi be
shot at the rate of four miles minute. This
Is by no means a new idea. There i1now
under Broadway, not far from the post e6ce,
a section of a pneumatic tube laid many bars
ago that was to be the beginning Of abm-
plete system of rapid delivery exto&ng
throughout the city. Several essential deaiis
in the system were lacking, however, Rn& tho
work practically abandoned. Mr.. SF.
Leake of Philadelphia now claims that IN pas
solved the difficulties that have proved fat1to
other systems of pneumatic tubes. and lac DO
poses to organize a company with a stock o.
tai of $4,000 900 to build line IN accordsts
with his patents between New York and I'D j.
delphia. In order to test the prdcticabilItf
Mr.. Leake's patents, double pneumatic ttte
line will shortly be laid between jersey CF
and Newark, on the route which has been \
lected for the through line. This line will ID
fully equipped, and the business possibilities 4
the enterprise can be approximately gagged by
the number of letters, newspapers and small
packages transmitted between the two points.
Mr.. Leake SAYS tDat these pneumatic tubes
for mail matter are hut the beginning of a
great reform an rapid transit and that n they
prove 20 be successful the time will come when
passenger cars can DC run through monster
tubes by the same system.
The laying of pneumatic tubes between
Philadelphia and New York seems now 10 he
assured. A number of Philadelphians are in
terested in the project and among them are
Joseph Trainer, James Swccny. John Bradley
and Felix Bradley. 1t was originally intended
to sell shares in this company at IS cents
apiece, in order TO make il popular This idea
was abandoned and recently IL was estimated
! that there was enough business between New
York and Philadelphia OF a Kind that could be
handled by the tubes to declare a dividend OF
Is per cent upon capital stock of $4,000 Goa
The tubes through which the carriers will DO
sent are TO be two feet IN diameter and made
of copper. They will be laid underground in
nearly direct line between the two cities.
The carriers will be wLirled along at n velocity
OF about four miles a minute. This means that
a letter can be sent 10 Philadelphia and an an
swer received within an hour. Then ali moneys
and bonds can be sent from one city TO the
other almost n day later than with the present
express facilities. Such a system might IN
many cases prevent business failures, as it
would be possible for New York banks 20 send
cash to Philadelphia or receive il from there
within an hour OF the demand 1t will almost
be possible for man to give banquet az some
station along the line and have his spread fur
nished hot by New York or Philadelphia
caterer.
Several engineers who were asked about the
practicabillty of this system told tho sun re-
porter that il Mr.. Leake's patents accomplished
what the inventor promised the operation of
the tubes would undoubtedly be success. II
the short line between Jersey City and Newark
WORKS successfully the promoters of the scheme
will immediately begin laying the pipes
between New York and Philadelphia.