The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-14
ANOTHER TUBULAR GRAB.
PIPES LAID a $4,000 GIFT
FROM CONGRESS-.

The Pout once Appropriation Biil Carries
That Much More Than There IL Apparent
or Explained Need For-Perbaps It's .
Boost for Miihoiiand's Chicago scheme.
WARRINGTON, March 13.-From what infor-
nation can DO gathered concerning tho contract
for pneumatic tube service for tho coming year
1t appears that IL the appropriation Of 1926, 900
carried In the Post Office Appropriation bill re-
Gently reported to the House goes through. the
department will have S33.351 at its disposal
with which It can make additional contracts for
the coming year. Its present contracts call for
$101,849. What the department will do with
tho surplus appropriation is n mystery yet un.
solved. 1t Is declared that no Postmasters have
recommended that the pneumatic tube service
be installed in any cities where 1t is not already
in operation, and it is represented that the do
partment asked of the committee only enough
to carry on It's contracts already made. II this
is true. the committee voluntarily gave the do.
partmcnt $33,3 51 more than 1t wanted. In Its
report tho committee said nothing whatever as
to why it gave this additional money.
1t is also noticed that a new appropriation is
made for the service this year. When the first
appropriation was made it was represented that
1t could be taken from the mail messenger fund
and never be missed. as the tube service would
replace the other to a large extent. Now this
idea IL cast aside and q new item is made OF the
appropriation for tho pneumatic tube service.
which is no longer intended to replace tho mail
messenger service, but to supplement 1t.
As for the expenditure of tho additional $685.
600. 1t is understood that it will DO made in
Brooklyn, thus giving the Tubular Dispatch
Company another subsidy. What tho Brooklyn
office wants with the pneumatic tubes. or what
IL expects to do with them Il 1t gets them. Is yet
TO be learned. Postmaster Wilson openly says
he does not need them, nor does he want them.
s s,r%yaa yva II part Ssw Of 5or tue rP mail lor is to ,a DO dc,
New York and Brooklyn is provided for
already, SO the only way in which this
putting down tubes betwccnth branch stations
and the main office AS is to be done in New York.
F FSrnap to Chicago GRES a Pos tnRSt2PtGi% ordon T IS SAID ID
to favor the installation of the pneumatic tube
that he ever applied to the department for funds
for this purpose.
Some time ago Mr.. John f. Milholland, who,
in addition to being head OF tho Tubular Dis
patch Company, is managing director Of tho
Batcheller Pneumatic Tube Company, the parent
organization, which owns the patents and sup
plies the tubes. went to Chicago 10 organize a
company in that city to operate pneumatic tubes
ment. In 1892 a company, called the Chicago
Power Supply and Smoke Abatirg Company.
obtained an ordinance from the Common Coun-
Gil known as the Bacon ordinance. which. gavoit
all kinds of powers and rights. 1t gave the COM
pany the right to construct and operate works for
the manufacture of compressed air motors and
fittings and for pneumatic appliances in the city
OF Chicago. 1t gave the company the right OF
way along, upon, and under all the avenues.
streets, alleys. and public places in Chicago for
the purpose oil placing, operating, repairing. and
maintaining a line orlines of mains, pipes. and
pneumatic tubing and ell necessary service
pipes and appliances in connection herewith
tive power and for heating. cooling, and san.
itary ventilation, and for the of
power. articles. and materials through the tubes.
An exception is made as to gas and oil.
Mr.. MilhOlland found that this was the very
company that he was searching Tor. and he i'm
vNnii n aIr nIn fha lnDTi ~ M iarA win
n view of obtaining Il consolidation of interests.
For six years the franchise of the Chicago COM
done now and then. just enough to say that the
work was proceeding. If il had not been for the
been necessary. but ms it was Milholland found
the work already done. The ordinance bad not
s pnSiSed w th4 G %rSmsmbs w,sho IN g ch iiiSha; ws so the is
company Is well equipped to secure whatever is
in sight, The proposition advanced by Milhol.
land to the Chicago company was that the lat
ter should lay tubes from all the stations and
suo.s.ations in Chicago to the main office. In
addition, every large store and office building is
included in tho arrangements. just how far it
is proposed to extend the system is not evident.
1t is certain, however. that it was represented
to the local company that, Il it adopted the
Batcheiler system and installed the plant. the
| appropriations from the Post Office would keep
it in operation until n commercial business
could be built, up. as is anticipated in New York.
Negotiations have been practically closed. bur
as yet no appropriation has been made, nor will
work begin until 1t is made.
1t is. expected that the amount obtained for
tiC NV Not'Ai ! "Ii ". Wy iit'b
than that for New York. This is owing to the
greater amount of territory to be covered. In
Chicago there are scventy-ivc sub.stations and
fifteen branch Post Offices, and it is proposed to
connect them all with the main office. Two sets Of
tubes are to be laid from each of these stations
to the main office and two sets from the main
office to each of The main railroad stations. As
usual. it is expected that tho power for com
pressing the air and the salaries of the attend
ants will be paid for by the Government without
regard to the contract for tho use OF the tubes.
Postmaster Gordon thought that the service
need not be introduced into Chicago until the
new Post Office is COMPLETED, but the company
wishes to lay temporary pipes to the present
office, and promises to have them down in n
little over two months and remove them even
more quickly after the now office is completed.
which will be in less than three years. IL the
Chicago company can get n contract with tho
Government at the same favorable rates as the
Tubular Company has for New York it ought to
have no difficulty in clearing hundreds of thou
sands of dollars every ycnr. II Is said that the
$33, 900 will be given to this company as an
encouragement for 1t to install the system in
Chicago.