The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-12
PNEUMATIC TUBES ABROAD.
Their Extensive Use in London, Paris,
Vienna and Berlin.

In an article on Progress in Pneumatic
Transmission" in the current number of
the Engineering Magazine, William Allen
Smith gives the following facts regarding
the use af pneumatic tubes la Europe.
Pneumatic tubes for local transmission of
kilograms are now used in all the principal
cities Of Great Britain. At present about
fifty miles of such tubes are in operation
requiring an aggregate of 400 horse power,
and transmitting daily average Of over
105, 0C0 messages Tor over 100000 annu-
ally, more than half OF these In London
The lengths OF tubes vary greatly; the aver
age length is about $50 yards; the greatest
single length in London is 1892 yards The
tubes are OF lead, laid in castlron pipes for
protection, and are usually of two and a
quarter inches inner diameter; some tubes
OF one and half and some OF three inches
inner diameter are used. AS a general rule,
with the same air pressure and diameter of
tube. The speed varies iDyerselY as the
length Of the tube. In tubes not over a
mile long the usual average speed is twenty
five 10 thirty miles an hour. The carriers
are Of gutta-peTcha covered with felt. with
buffer at the front end and an elastic
band at tho back or open end 10 hold In the
messages. An ordinary carrier, weighing
two and three-quarter ounces holds dozen
messages.
lHt HlhIkcu SucCtsb Oh lllB BrltiSh pnpu-
matte service led to the adoption of similar
systems in Paris, Vienna and Berlin, The
pneumatic system OF Paris was mt into
operation in 1866. and has grown steadily.
SO that to-day in Paris tubes are used al
most exclusively for transmission of local
kilograms and letters demanding quick de-
livery. A small stamped envelope. the
petite bleu, costing 80 confines, or 10 cents.
is used for the message, which, dropped into
special postbox, is delivered anywhere in
Paris within an hour, often in TWENTY-FIVE
minutes.
In Vienna the "tube-posp was established
In March, 1875. The nine districts of the
city are connected with a central station.
The tube maiP' Is dropped into special
postboxes, collected every half hour, for
warded to the central station and distributed
Pneumatic envelopes cost Is kreuzers
about 6 cents and ordinary letters krec-
Zers. Tube letters" are delivered within
one hour after mailing. The Vienna svs.
tenn consists OF main circuit Of 5.34 miles.
with three branch lines; total length 10
miles.
In Berlin the Prussian postal authorities
began in 1862 discussion of measures of
relief Tor the overcrowded local telegraph
system, and pneumatic line was opeped
In 1865 between the Central telegraph
station and the Exchange building The
beginning OF tle present extensive tube
post OF Berlin dates from 1876, since which
time it has been enlarged, until there are
now over twenty-eight miles of tube-line in
the city, with thlrty-eight stations. Tube
letters" are to-day delivered in Berlin more
| quickly than kilograms at cost equivalent
to ~ cents, and tube postcards" at 6h
| cents. The tubes In Berlin are OF wrought
| Iron. and have an inner diameter of Go nm.
| equal to 255 inches. The system is operated
| by eight steam engines, aggregating only
| 128 horse power.
| The British tube lines are laid on the
radial system: that Is, the different lines
| radate from centers to the various branch
| stations to be reached. In Paris, Vienna,
and originally In Berlin, The various sta
| tlons were connected by series of polygons,
around which the motion is uniformly in