The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28

There Won't Ec Any, an Authority SaysI
Pneumatic Tubes Will I%tcpin"e Them.

ST PAUL, MINI. May TT. I. Whitney. gen.
rral Passenger agent Of the Great Northern
Railroad, III speaking of the future develop
m"It OF railroad travel says:
The great development of railroad travel
illtv wears hcn"" will undoubtedly be along the
line Of urban and suburban rapid transit. Long
distance steam railroads. as we know them to-
day, carving both freight and passengers, are
in some RESPECTS at the apex Of their achieve
ment. Speed is for all practical purposes lim-
tied to tn" maximum Of sixty miles AN hour,
or but little more. The item of comfort has
rcochcla uuirt where there is little left to DO
desired. Accidents affecting life and limb on
Il MODERN passenger railway have been reduced
to Il percentage 80 low that it is actually safer
to travel on u railway train than to walk along
ac!ty street.
lit is possible tina, for some time ocomc long
distance travel Will continue To- follow the same
general lines as now exist. Steam locomotives
may xiv" place to machinery operated by cleo
trl"l'N or compressed air: the two rails may in
process Of time become one. Cars. both pas
s"uE"r and freight. may be still further inn
proved, hut in the main the railway system OF
1000 Will he simply an Improvement on what
exists to-day, with an "y"r-prcsGnt speed limit
OF less than loo miles an hour.
There is a department Of railway travel.
however. that demands and will cNpericure
Ttil'dl cnAnS'S. aNu Illlt Is urban ana SUD-
urban rapid transit of both Passengers and
freight; il is tn" CRYING need Of the day. Mu-
inequalities and corporations ara moving
heaven and earth 20 IIoyide better means for
transporting the willions Of men from their
homes To their offices and workshops. Condi-
ttons, instead Of improving, grow steadily
worse. IL all the llgSn centres exceeding half
a million ppuulat!ou Ia" cong .Stion ~ strnet-
ear lmc,-hor-e ears. electric cars or cablr ears
and elevated rov Isis i constant mtua. - to
h a!th, lie and property.
Extension along tho lines Of existin. mcth-
DDS l. almost at Il >tanIstill. New York. the
Srrond rilY in tn" world. seems helpless before
the rv"r-growinG problem, Twice every day
4 struggling mass Of humanity wastes precious
hpurH IN a slow, tedious journey between work
and home There j. no moro /, ON for surface
lines -. railway. TIL extension Of the elevated
System means Ia" rulua'.ol Of y%aiunhl" streets.
What = wInlrd q, som" method that Will prac-
tIcally munthI.atr dletaIro and at the same
time rrm"N", from ia" civ rtr""'s the dangers
hlC solution occurs to me-.
1t requires NJ "fI,rtof the imagination TO
-" 1h extension Of III" pneumatic tube Sys-
tenn nov IN Use IN the largest cities. \ view Of
Ny l"rS. London, lirls. or any othar large
fashion: Justices. aephaircl streets with no
moss" o. ~riu!;,lg gong or Stcel-Shod hOofs;
"ir.iA; Mnnioh'm arT"cs which pass
riiE"s; No 'i"1ihly trI"''y Of. electric lines or
network, oi smoke h'grImed elevated trestle
'''A .. ''fA'A hN WA ~ lA' as NIlo
small FOUND stations OF the Pneumatic Under
ground TRANSFORMATION Company. The pnSScu-
ger Wal step INTO an automatic elevator which
gently lowers him To- tn" track, If such q name
can H." applied to Il system that has no track.
ln"lnIr-,"nt laiupS light the underground sta
iluil ana the air il rur" and sweet. Arcom-
panied by other suburban residents the pas
SCn%rr enters a luNurlOusly appointed car
who's" rr"h"t side amt ceilings disclose ia
tuhu.tr construction The conductor touches
an electric button which rip-o- the door softly
aud gently; there j. "A distinct hut hardly per-
r~"IlIh." forward motion IL III" car starts, and
~ HllIpS' an instant. 80 rJpi has been the mo-
lI"!.lN" t!tp has been mHir from tho Battery
- pIiT--"'pA street, UNd IN" silent elevator
lll'~ "a" iI"~HNGrr INTO tho sunshine before
the Grand Central Station. Harlem is reached
I've" inmates lHt"r, and from here tn" system
branches out To distant suburbs. In rOnnpc-
tlpu WITH the ru"ina'ic underground raIlwG",
automobile" carriages aud long. slim. singles
/ h1nn- i'm an iurrral'll vii T ilL,"
u ne lu"UmNlno transit -y-tcm may he cN-
t,liirI o. lhr.u'" inig hbOring cities. amt tho
effect Will lr practically to HnnIhiiiin an dis
ihlr'~ pi less 'hHt ON" hundred mites, which Ia
an"li the mlNlmlim Ht which il will hr nercs-
siEF or i"NIrlhI" to u~C pneumatic transit for
suburban trains. Tn" u" 60 this uI,tanc -
d"-iT'FluE system VIII add several hours a
day ~ III" leisure tim" Of busy men and bring
I"Si' n" district, Iurat",l thirty TO eighty
lll'" away within ten or twenty minutes run
81 business districts. Tine linlruitirs in the
WAY. ~ a p~rl'''cd! application Of the pncu-
lhtllc tnnr system mr." not greater than con-
lIuut"i the inyrntprO OF the steam railroad 81
to-day, The principle is now in active service
ona smaller scale. and the workings Of 1t excite
no comment Whatever