New-York tribune., 1896-01-02
,TEpEn Ely REACH DEAD.

Alfred T. Beach who died from pheunlon'a o''
New Years morning. was the son OF MOSES !.
Reach who established THE New-fork sun ana
conducted it for many years Mr.. Beach was porn
In 1896 in Springfeld Mass. After obtaining goou
educatlon at Monson tMass) Academy under the
,,r.ction Of the late Rev. Dr. Alfred Ely. he en-
tered his fathers office. where he acquired pracu-
cal knowledge OF newspaper WORK III 1910 ne "''
his former schoolmate, Orson d. Num- louhueu inc
Arm, of Nlunn a CO.. and became the propretors OF
.,rbc Scientific American" which at thar time was
the only weekly journal of It's KIND pupNShed In
this country .
For nearly fifty years Mr. Beach was active IN
,h .d,,orsbip of The Scientific American. and In
the direction of the extensive patent business ol he
firm Mr. Beach. with his inherent taste for me-
chanics and all branches Of science. was well
adapted for the business he had chosen His sym
n,,hv with inventors and men of genius rendered
him very helpful to that class Of people lie was
man OF remarkable energy. and few eNcelled him In
the conception of ideas for the furtherance OF Inn
nrovements in engineering and all mechanical arts
About 1852 he invented typewriting machine
which was exhibited in operation at the Crystal
Palace Exposition. and al the American Institute
Exhibition in this city from 1852 to 1888. II received
the gold medal of the institute one of the most
ingenious and important Inventions then exhibited
The machine had the keyboard. the pot of type
bars, the Ink ribbon the spacing bar the paper
Nearly thirty years ago Mr.. Beach devised sys
e of Gsry%s rd efsn the os %, cc
TO the central postoice. invented many devices
to perfect II This led to the organization OF the
Beach Pneumatic Transit Company, OF which he
president. ,,.
In 1851 at the American Institute Fair in Four
teenth-st ha had In operation suspended from tnc
ceiling. section of pneumatc elevated raii"ay s
on which many people rode. The success or this
experiment 80 convinced him OF the value or tne
pneumatic power for the propulsion of ears that ne
conceived the idea OF constructing tunnel unuer
Broadway and planned a system of underground
railways for NewYork. In 1869 Legislative author
ity having been granted. he constructed a section
OF underground railway extending from Warren
ST. to Murray-st. This work executed while
traffic was going overhead by means OF the
Beach hydraulic shield; the nrst example OF THIS THIS
machine. which Is now In common use by engineers
in all parts Of the world The Beach hydraulic
machine used In the construction OF the great
railway tunnel under the st. Clair River at Fort
Huron, between the United States and canada
The machine was also used for the underground
railway tunnels In London and Glasgow, the Hud-
son River Tunnel and similar works.
Under the firm name Of Mum Co. Mr. Beach
and Mr.. Mum have been associated together nlty
years lacking a few weeks. and many OF the em-
In their long continuance with the hrm, which Is
of the oldest In the city -,
Mr. Beach founded. soon after the close or the
civil war ,he Beach Institute at savannah, Ga
for the education OF the freedmen and he has always
been noted for his private charities lie leaves
widow. one son and q daughter.