The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-27
NEW MAIL SERVICE.
Pneumatic Tubes to Be Installed In
Philadelphia.
They VIII Be Operated on the Plan
OF the London System.


matter, kilograms and packages can be
sent instantly to any part Of the city In
any direction and from any point. The
government has authorized the installation
and the work Of construction Is to be be-
gun at once. There will be main central
pumping station somewhere I'm the vicinity
of the now city hall, and the tubes will
radiate In all directions Smaller pumping
stations will be located In outlying parts
of the city, and those will control local cir
cults, so that it Is expected Philadelphia
will have tho quickest and most effective
delivery system In the world.
1t has been several years since the first
application of the pneumatic tube to the
mail system of the United States was
made, but during the time IL has been In
operation it has boon eagerly watched by
the postmasters OF other American cities,
because It's success has indicated revolu-
tion In tho collection and distribution OF
mail matter. This pioneer American tube,
as 10 now stands, extends from the Phila-
deiphia Stock Exchange to the postofflce,
one-half milo. Tho diameter of the tube
Is 6x inches and tho carriers which can
be dispatched at tho rate of 500 minute,
give carrying capacity of $4,000 letters
an hour. 1t has boon successful far be-
yond the expectations of tho postoffice de-
partment, and il has led TO what will DO
the first general pneumatic tube system In
the United Staees.
The feasibi@y Of adapting pneumatic
conveying systems to public use has occu-
pied the attention of inventors for years,
and 400 applications for pneumatic tube
patents are now on illo in the patent office
In II L. tba q
mendous expansion which makes the ques-
ton so alluring from the point of view OF
tho promoter. The theory is that with
proper facilities New York, Boston, Chi
cago, Washington, or, in fact, any Of the
larger cities in the United States could be
as easily placed In communication with
one another by means of pneumatic tubes
rs could the local districts of any one Of
these centcrs. The telegraph companies
realize this very thoroughly, for tho expan-
sion Of the system would seriously affect
their business, and already one company
has a tube in operation between two of its
offices in New York city.
The pneumatic tubes are an old story In
Europe. Just such systems as that to be
established In Philadelphia, moro limited
perhaps, but as proportionately efficient,
have been In operation for years In Lon
don, Paris Berlin and Vienna. The pneu-
matte tubes in European cities are none OF
them very large as far as their diameter Is
concerned. Their carrying capacity is thus
somewhat limited, but only rs 20 the trans
mission of packages. Otherwise these sys-
tens are cry complete, and in London.
Paris, Berlin and Vienna our American
method of message delivery would seem
very slow indeed.
The London pneumatic tubes differ very
materially from those Of Paris not only in
the mechanical method OF transmission,
but also in the manner in which the cir
cults arc arranged around the city. Lon
don uses what is known as the radial sys-
tenn. Paris uses the circuit system. In
London the pipes or tubes radiate from the
central station, which In this case is the
general postoffice. Outgoing and return
tubes are laid to and from the outlying
stations. In Paris, however, n single pipe
starting from the central station makes a
circuit of outlying stations and then re-
turns 20 tho starting point. The circuit ar
rangemcnt Is also used in Vienna, but it
may be said in favor OF the London method
that Berlin, which originally employed this
system, replaced it In 1884 by the radial
system. Yet the Paris plant is In some
double lincs Of tubes have been laid from
the Place de In Boursc TO the Place du
Theatre Frapcais, and thence to the Halles
and To tho Rue de Grenellc. Also single
lines OF pipe nave been extended to tho
Place dp Havre and to the Avenue des
Champs Elysecs.
London operates 42 stations and "a miles
of tubes. It.is estimated that over 90, 600
messages arc transmitted daily Paris on
tho other hand, operates less than 90 sta
tions and transmits nearly as many mes
sages rs London. There is therefore some
thing TO be said in favor of the Paris sys-
tenn rs opposed to that of London by reason
of tho economy of its working force. Ber-
lin operates over % miles of double tubing
and has 38 stations Tho Vienna plant
corresponds in its operation TO that of Paris,
only in smaller proportion. There Is great
or simplicity in the London arrangement
of the tubes, which may be said TO rcsem-
bic double track railroad, while somc
confusion Is apt TO result in the operation
of tho Partisan tubes The latter form
succession Of loops, and once n carrier
starts out from the central station 1t Is
compelled TO make complete circuit of
the city before it can return 20 Its start
ing point. 1t might bc supposed from this
that much time would bo lost in the trans
mission Of empty carriers but this diff
Guilty is overcome by tho fact that the car
ricrs themselves aro not acted upon by
compressed air or vacuum. The propclling
force in tho pipes is cxcrted upon n small
piston, which Is shot through the pipes
and drags after it long trains Of carriers,
just as locomotive pulls train of cars.
In London the carriers themselves are act
cd upon by the prorelling force, and are
shot through tho tubes In tho same man
yer as those in Philadelphia.
Pneumatic tubes have been In success
ts'l operation so long in Europe that the
great wonder is that they have not been
adopted in the United Statcs-that is, 40
far rs public service Is concerned. AS our
mail service now stands it IL almost inn
possible 20 get a letter from New York to
Boston and have IL delivered on the day it
is mailed. Telclraphing is expensive to
the average person, nor can one accept
telegram as sufficient documentary owl
dencc for certain classes of business. With