Connecticut western news., 1893-12-21
FUTURE TRANSIT.

FUTURE TRANSIT.
 "Be careful, said my guide; there is only one more step."
 Descending safely the step thus in- dicated, I found myself in vast hall illuminated by the blinding radiance of electric lights, our footsteps alone sound ing in the silence.
 "Where was I? Why did I come there? Who was my mysterious guide?'
 There was no response to these inter- rogations.
 A long journey in the night, doors of iron opened and closed noisily, the descent of staircases deeply sunk in the earth-that was all could succeed in embering-indeed had no leisure to think.
 "You are undoubtedly asking who am and where you are?' said my guide. q am Colonel Pierce, at your service, and we are in America in the city of Boston, in station.
 "A station?" said I.
 '.Yes, the terminus of the Boston and Liverpool Pneumatic Tube company, " and with gesture of explanation Colo nel Pierce pointed to two long iron cyl finders about two meters in diameter which were not far from us.
 gazed upon these two cylinders, set in mass of masonry, having enormous metallic obturators, from whence sev- eral iron tunnels extended, passing through the ceiling. And all at once I understood.
 I remembered to have read short time previously, in an American news paper, an article recounting an extraor- dinary scheme for uniting Europe and the new world by two gigantic tubes under the ocean. An invention had been made, and the inventor was the very Colonel Pierce who was my pres ent guide. again read, in thought, the article in the newspaper.
 The reporter went into all the de- tails of the enterprise. He wrote that it was constructed of iron, of a length of $500, 900 meters, weigh ing 13, 900, 900 tons; that 200 vessels of 2,000 tons each were necessary to transport the material, each vessel mak. ing 33 voyages. He showed that this scientific armada carried the steel tc two vessels at each end of the route, or board of which the ends of the tubes were held. He explained that the tubes themselves were extended under the waves without intermission in sections of three meters screwed together and powerfully bound by triple band oi steel plate covered with coat of rosin. In regard to the matter of it's work. ing: The tubes, which resemble two gi gantic pea shooters, carried in their in teriors series of passenger cars whicf were impelled by powerful currents ot air in the same manner as the present pneumatic process.
 A comparison with the steam rail l road system concluded the description ! and the author enthusiastically enum erated the advantages of the new ant ! audacious system. In the tubes ther, | are no disagreeable noises to cause nery ous trepidation, thanks to the interna surface, which is of polished steel. Th' temperature is even, the currents O air being modified according to the sea | pO05, anu IhC AdtCo AO1 PdocOAA6Oio V merchandise being extremely moderat by reason of the economic construction and the comparatively small runnin, expenses required for working the in vention.
 And the writer went on to state, for getting that, despite the 1, 686 kilome ters which the rotation of the eartl makes each hour, bodies situated at tn equator are still subject to the laws o gravity, forgetting that it would necessary to be released from the oper ation of these laws to have speed times greater-he went so far as to as sert that trains in consequence of tn rapidity of their movement and tn curving of the earth would be subjec to so small an amount of friction tha they could be used indefinitely, perhap to all eternity.
 1 All that came to my mind then an there. Thus this Utopia had becom reality, and those two cylinders of fro that were near me extended beyond th Atlantic and welded together, as were, the two continents! Despit what saw was not able to convinc myself. There were the tubes truly but that passengers could be taken b that route could not bring myself believe.
 Was it possible that a complete cul rent of air could be-ostablished of ths length?" I formulated this questio aloud.
 "very easily" answered Colont Pierce. "A large number of blasts similar to those emanating from hug furnace, are sufficient for the purpose The. air is forced back with power a
 most without limit, causing frightfr whirlwind, which has rapidity ( more than 1,800 kilometers an hou1 nearly that of ball discharged from
 cannon. The speed attained is so rapi that our cars, filled with passenger l occupy but hours and IA minutes ! accomplishing the 5000 miles betwee Boston and Liverpool.
 That is over 1,300 miles an hour, } exclaimed.
 !, "There is no doubt of it. And the. , is a peculiar feature about it. IT time in Liverpool is 4 hours and { minutes faster than ours. therefore
 traveller who leaves Boston at o'clot
 in the morning will drive at Engla1 sfa n !