, 1890-01-30
uESSrNG's ToBoGGAN RAILROAD
Details Of scheme for Travelling
10000 Tcct In Forty.TMo sennnda.


NEW YonK, Jan. ls.-Major u. s. Hen
ming, who is the leading spirit In the
Honuing Gravity Tunnel Company gave
further details today OF tho scheme by
which his two companies propose TO
build y railway tunnel like an under
ground toboggan slide under lhc East
river. "My plan is very noyel one,
admit,n he said 'but II has been pro-
nounccd practicable by all tho leading
engineers in the country. We have
chained gravity to work for US jus, as
the electricians have chained lightning.
We supplement gravity by electric motor
or cable power Tho system consists
simply of a tunnel, with sharp iuclincs at
each end. Tho railway car In the
tunnel runs down the incline, gets mo
mentum enough to cross the level and
run paTt way up the opposite incline,
and then IL grips on to cable autona'-
icnlly and Is carried up to the station.
The steepness OF the incline Is regulated
by the distance to be covered ana the
rate of speed required. On the line Sc
lected 10y the East River Railway COM
pany, from broadway, brooklyn, 70 llo
foot of BrOOmc street, Now YORK, the
distance across the river from bulkhead
to buIkhead is 200 feet. By descending
a distance Of 100 fee. on an Incline OF
one foot Ia four car can pass
from station 20 station In iOrty-two
seconds, aud IL IL Is desirable 10 90
faster OF slower tho speed can le regu'
lated by increasing or decreasing tee
incline, or by changing the depth oI the
tunnel. on this above basis II san be
safely calculated that the passage OF me
Z In
minute. Trains will leave each side on
a headwny of one and one'hnlf minutes.
That makes forty trips each way cach
hour. Zach TRAIN can be arranged 70
/ AIRY $50 Messengers. That viii MAKE II
possible to carry 10, 40 people each way
There will DO no danger OF collision.
There will be two perfectly straight
tracks, and on each track q train OF iour
or five cars. each car my feat lohg.
Each train will run on Us own Usys
leave each side at the same moment.
and pass each other near the cen ter oI
the tunnel. There j. no possibility oil
accident, except by the breaking OF an
axle or wheel, TO prevent which every
nrecaution will be taken. The aNlcs
will be made unusually large, anu as
weight Is an important factor ~
obtaining speed Msc ~. ~
heavy axle Is an ndvantage ratle.
than an objection. To provide against
any possibility Of rail breaking we shaii
usc rails OF the very best quality o. steel
only and weighing 10 rounds 20 ine
ward, OF double the.usual weight thsre
will lie no danger Of cars jumping the
track, as the oompensating grades o,'-
tween the level track and the inchn,ss
are so easy that the grades will r'ahy
not be seit at all. We expect 10 use y
peculiar from OF guard rail that VIII
make it impossible for the ca. TO Leave
the track any way. We shan
have, among other things secMyns
ike elevator lifts, each holding we've
persons suspended from the tons or sides
AZ the railway cars, 10 that the passen-
gers may DO kept on the peips,n,dleeAaai ai
Eli the time. The iuclines VIII not 10
III, ami the messengers will remain por-
iectly comfortable. We shall INST bore
through from four TO ten sest hoies a.
depth OF ls0 feet, aud SOC what the ped