Morning journal and courier., 1893-02-20
AN INTERESTING oCoAsIoN.

<AN hER OCOAS1ONs The Pneumatic Tube service-Rapid
 Transmission Of the Mails Success
 fully Inaugurated d-POstmaster Gen.
 eral Wanamaker Master of Ceremo-
 nies.
 The following from last Saturdays Phil adelph1a Times will interest many people here, and some of our citizens are and have been for two years past financially interested in the enterprise mentioned, which. from the indications, Is now an assured success:
 Ut ts success. Far beyond my ex- pectatione!" Such was the emphatic ap- proval of the test of the Clay Pneumatic Transit tube between the main postoffice and the branch on Chestnut street, east of Fourth street, yesterday, expressed by Post master General John Wanamaker, after he had seen various articles shot through the tube between the two offices in few sec- onds. MT. Wanamaker's sentiments were those expressed by the large number of representative business men who were present to see the test.
 Among these were Third Assistant Post master General A. D. Hazsn, Postmaster W. w. Johnson of Baltimore and a score of other prominent men.
 heguests gathered in Postmaster Fields office and at o'clock started to look over the plant. The first place visited was the cellar, where the six inch iron pipes which convey the carriers, the wires carrying the electric current which notifies either sta | tion of the departure of carrier and the
 engines which supply the air pressure were | inspected.
 The test was held on the main floor, | Postmaster General Wanamaker acting ss
 master of ceremonies. Addressing his audience of probably one hundred persons | he said: ''I propose to pat in this tube first | a copy of the scriptures wrapped in an I American flag, and with it I will send the following message:
 The frst use of the first pneumatic postal | tubs in the United States is to send l through it a copy of the holy scriptures, I the greatest message ever given to the world. Covering the Bible is tae Ameri- can flag, the emblem of fire e1om of 65 ,000,- l 900 of happy people
 'If you approve, this shall be the cere- | mony of opening the tube"
 He then placed the article in the carrier 1 and inserted it in tue tubs at 4:19:20. It | took just one lninute and three seconds for | it to reach the branch office and to get the | notification by telephone. The next step was 10 send a package of postal cards, one ! Of which was addressed to each invited i guest. It contained the following: At Philadelphia, Pa on Friday, Febru-
 ary IT, 1893, this postal card was sent by l John Wsnamsker, postmaster general, in l tie first carrier through the first pneumatic
 tube ever used for the transmission of mail l in the United States
 1 Then followed short description Of the | tube.
 l Following the postal cards were sent l copies of all the daily newspapers Of this city by Postmaster Field Then other car l rieIs containing various articles were sent
 whizzing through the tube, Oranges, ap- l pies and @ loaf of bread went down, ard | back came laund1ied shi:. and collars | and cuffs, without even being musaed.
 The postmaster general and Postmaster ! Field were the recipic nts of handsome bou | quets, shot through the tube with the com | paDy's compliments.
 Then came up pair of shoes and to l show the ease and certainty with which ar- l ticles may be transmitted, W. J. Kelly,
 president of the local company, placed his gold watch in one of the shoes and sent fl
 rushing along to the sub-station In 8 few
 minutes it was back again at Ninth and
 Chestnut with the watch ticking as lively
 as eyer. Then the tests ceased and tic
 tube was turned over to the postofics
 employees and regular mail matter began
 to appear, half peck st time.
 The company repaired to the Continenta
 hotel, where a bar quet was served in par Tor c. w. J. Kelly presided. Mr. Wanamaker, in 8 speech, said: The system we have seen marks an epoot
 in tte postal eervice of this country. Phila ; dsiphia allows other people to laugh at i for it's siowness, yet this demonotr stioi
 has been open to other cities Of this couH ; try aud Philadelphia has assumed th
 leadership. It is not the fret tins she hs,
 done so snd we may be proud of it. John Field hss bern the Eenj ami Franklin of the pneumatic service. The.
 Cal be no question but tha- his touch vii be felt years and years to come We ar, indebted to these Philadelphia gentlemen
 who have under great difficulties eetab lished this syetesu st cOet of $42, coo. believe that before loEg letters wilt b sant to New Yoik in tubes like these il ten minutes
 Ttere were numerous other short speech es. description of the pneumatic tub was published in yesterdays Times It i proposed as soon as the frost is out of th ground to run a branch tube into tn Drex-l building and ehCot all mail for tina building directly there from the main of : fee. A switch controlled by electrieit and operat. at Ninth and Chestnut streets will enable the postoffice officials t. } turn the carriers iI to that building at thei pleasure and withon. any etopp ge or de , lay in sending the rasil to the sub station