Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-15
TWO CENTS.
FAST MAILS FOR CITIES.
New fofkers Who Want Letters Hurried
Around by Electricity.


delegation OF representative New York
business men arrivedin Washington this morn
ing TO bring to the attention Of Congress the
needs OF the great cities OF the United States
and Of New York in particular for better and
more speedy methods Of transferring the enor-
nous mass OF mail matter to and fro between
central post Offices and remote substations.
The delegation was received by Senator His
cock and Representative Raines and escorted
to the Capitol, where it was received by the
Senate committee on post Offices There were
present President Evan Thomas of the
produce exchange, President William Wills
OF the mercantile exchange. John Van
Wormer. secretary of the Union League
Club: Patrick Farrell. president of the Ameri-
can News Company; j. +. Graham, editor OF
the New York Commercial Advertiser; Engineer
Franklin l.. Polk. T.. ID. Neustadt Of the pro-
duce exchange, Vim. l. Martin Of the board of
trade. j. II. Snider, VIM. Duckett, A. G. Fave
J. J. Walton and DIR. J. J. Perry.
The Senate committee had before il the bill
introduced by Senator Hlscock, which pro-
poses an appropriation OF Sl,000.000 to be ex-
pended by commission appointed by the
Postmaster General in increasing by pneumatic
tube or electric device postal facilities and
expediting the distribution. collection and de-
nvery OF mails in cities having a population Of
150, 900 or more
Mr.. Graham, President Thomas Of the pro-
II. Il.
Folk and others spoke.
WHAT IT Is PROPOSED TO DO.
In answer to question by Senator Colquitt
Mr.. Van wormer said it was designed to con-
meet Jersey City, BROOKLYN. Hoboken and the
twenty sub stations with the New York post
office. He spoke of the successful operation of
the pneumatic tube system employed by the
Western Union Telegraph Company to connect
its New York Offices.
Mr Dali
ical devices necessary to facilitate city mail
distribution. He proposed. for the postal
service, tubes one foot in diameter. with car
riers five or six feet long, holding about 10, 600
letters.
He had seen such a carrier as he described
propelled by electricity at the rate of fifty-six
miles an hour at a cost OF 10 cents per ton per
mile The carrier would reach the Grand
Central station from the New York post Office
IN four minutes. The present cost OF mail
transfer was about 10 cents per ton per mile.
His estimate of the cost of q tube was about
SIG, 900 per mile.
The electric system would cost more to con-
struct; the pneumatic system more TO operate.
That estimate contemplated a tube supported
on posts. Possibly the property owners might
object to that. 10 carry 1t on the elevated
railroad structures would reduce the cost of
construction one-half.
Senator Hiscock suggested that the delega-
tion present to the committee a detailed scheme
OF the plan OF transmission with estimate Of
cost.
Senator Mcmillan thought that il might be
well to reduce the appropriation from Il, ,O00.-
200 to 100000 and with that sum build one
line from the New York post Office to the Grand
Central station. He feared that his democratic
brethren would be unwilling to appropriate
1000, 900 outright
After some discussion the delegation agreed
to prepare plan showing the details Of the
proposed system and the committee adjourned