Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-10
Table Covers. $3.50.
LIVE CAT THROUGH MAIL-TUBE.
Pneumatic Line in New York City
Success.
New York Herald-Sth.


Several hundred persons crowded into
one of the mail-rooms on the ground
floor of the general post-office building
yesterday to witness the first public trial
OF The recently completed pneumatic mail
system between the main Office ana sta
tion +, i'm the Produce Exchange.
AS this Is the first link i'm series or
similar systems that Will eventually con-
meet the main ost-ofice with the several
ub-stations and with Brooklyn, an ell
fort was made to make the occasion mem
orable The space in the mall-room where
the exhibition took place was elaborately
festooned with the national coiOrs, ana
Chauncey NJ. Depew, former Postmaster
General Tyner, and Second-Assistant-
Postmaster-G General Shailenberg were on
hand TO see that the inauguration of New
Yorks pneumatic mail service should not
lack oratorical exploitation
At the request Of Mr.. Milholland, or the
company that pat in the system, Chaun-
cey NJ. Depew, began the ceremonies by
putting into one OF the pig cynnurical
carriers a copy Of the Bible wrapped In
an American flag made Of silk grown in
this country. Then followed a copy OF
the recommendations made by General
Tyner. as chairman OF the special COM
mlttee appointed by Postmaster-General
Wanamaker I'm 1881 to inquire into the
needs OF the New York post-offlce; POST
master Van Cotts further Endorsement
OF the pneumatic system ten years later,
Strong, Postmaster-Generai
Schallberg. General Tyner. and Post
master Van Colt.
NOW, let's see how long II will take
her TO come back" Mr.. Depew remarked,
as he fastened the cap down on the
nickel-plated carrier. An attendant adj
justed the cylinder in the tube, and as
Mr.. Depew laid his hand on the lever,
there was a sudden subdued crash and
the package of matter to be sent through
New York's pneumatic mail system was
off for the Produce Exchange, mile
and third away. In tribe less than
a minute and a half, q bell rang, an
nouncing the arrival Of the carrier at the
other end of the line
a delay of a minute and n half followed,
and then the big nickelled cylinder flashed
out of the tube in the post-ofiice building,
filled with a great bouquet Of violets for
Postmaster Van Colt by way of acknow-
ledgment from the Produce Exchange end
of the line The time occupied by the
round trip was four and three-quarter
minutes.
After that some Of the regular at
PENDANTS took charge of the apparatus,
and for the next ten minutes the way the
carriers were fed into the tube suggested
a machine gun In action. In all about
thirty carriers were dispatched.
one brought peach from the Produce
Exchange for Mr.. Depew; another com
plete suit of clothes for Mayor Strong,
by way of compensating him for the suit
underground conduit for the pneumatic
tube system; while still third was loaded
with the varied results of womans
shopping tour.
But the surprise came when the second
carrier that had been sent from the gene
raj post-ofilce came back. 1t had gone
cut loaded with letters addressed TO
prominent members of the Produce EX-
cnange. When II came back there was
a suspiciously active bag in 1t addressed
90 George II. Daniels, of the New York
Central railroad Mr.. Depew took up the
bag rather gingerly, and surprised every
body by lifting out Of II big cat, very
much alive and apparently none the
worse for It's trip. Then came a stuffed
elephant labelled &c. o. p" very limp
looking Tanmany tiger of similar con-
struction. and gold brick and deed TO
the Klondike for w. j. Arkell.
Meanwhile several had had their watch
es out, and II developed that the carriers,
which are "a inches I'm length. trife over
z inches in diameter, and weigh twelve
pounds could be sent over the space be-
tween the post-office and the Produce Tx |
change In fifty-siN seconds.
Chauncey NJ. Depew, who led in the |
rpeech-making that followed the tests |
said the pncumatic-tube service was no |
.onger an experiment. but an assured sue !
eess.