The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-25
THE PNEUMArIc TUBE ACCIDENT
mnholIaud In Conference with the Pest once
Authorities.

Authorities.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.-John Milholland of
the Tubular DISPATCH Company called at the
Post Office Department to-day and had a long
conference with Second Assistant Postmaster.
General Shallenberger regarding Tuesdays ac-
cident to the pneumatic tube in New York. The
Department is anxious to know what the COM
pany proposes to do in such cases and what
measures can be taken to prevent the loss of
mail in the tubes. 1t also desires TO obtain
some idea of how much the company expects
to secure from the Government through the De-
partment for this service in New York and
Brooklyn. 1t Is certain that at present the De-
partment considers the service as in its exper.
mental stage only, and that before any ex-
tensive appropriations are to
Congress for the continuance or extension Of
the service the company must demonstrate tho
value and successful operation Of the tubes.
Postmaster Wilson of Brooklyn left tonight
for New York. He obtained the permission Of
the Treasury Department for the necessary
changes in the mail yard OF the Post Office that
will enable the tubular company to install its
Brooklyn Bridge.
impeding the march OF progress in the Post
Office Department, as l have been accused OF
doing to-day by people interested in the COM
pany. for / nm heartily in favor OF anything
that will give better service to people OF tho
Brooklyn office and 10 the patrons of the United
States at large. But ! regard that accident in
New York with considerable concern. and sin
cercly trust that nothing OF the kind will ever
happen In the Brooklyn tube. Such accidents
must necessarily. damage the persons whose
mail is destroyed. and yet they have no remedy.
II believe that the company should demon
strate TO the satisfaction OF all its ability to
handle the mails safely and quickly. and then
that the pneumatic tube service is a benefit to
the service before 1t asks any such large appro-
p~riations as 1t intends doing. l understand
that it proposes to cXtend.the service in New
York beyond tho limits OF the original con-
tract and also TO install 1t in Brooklyn. For the
former they propose to ask Congress to appro-
pirate $500. 600 and for the latter 5000, 600.
l cannot see any necessity whatever for such a
large expenditure even II the tubes work salts
factorily and handled all tho mail - New York.
1t Is my idea that the payment Il :. the service
should be in proportion to the vaiue OF the SER
vice and not such an enormous amount as
this
Continuing Mr.. Wilson said that the mail
from a New York Central train WAS sent to the
main office from station ii several DAYS ago
and II took $50 carriers to transport II: Even
IL they sent one carrier every ten seconds" said
he. IL would take thirty minutes to get the last
carrier into the main office. Add to this the
ten minutes consumed in taking the mail from
the station to station II and II gives forty min
utcs. Now, in Brooklyn we have a contract
with private parties that they shall land the
Brooklyn mail that comes in on this train In
the brooklyn Office in forty five minutes, and
they do it,"