Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-11-14
AN AERIAL LETTER LINE
Unique Plan to Send Mail by
Electricity.
FAR QUICKER THAN BY TRAINS.

Given . Governn ent Test Between
Rome and Naples-wires Used as
RaiIs-New Mailbag May BE Stop
ped at stations.
Count Roberto Piscicelli Taeggi un-
known until lately outside of his ma
tive Naples, has suddenly leaped into
prominence. writes William Rapinet
Mackenzie, the special correspondent
of the Chicago News at Rome. He has
submitted TO the Italian government
scheme TO work the postoffices Of the
Kingdom on a new rapid economic sys-
tem a scheme which was largely wired
all over Europe and is attracting gen.
eral attoNtion, especially In England.
The minister Of posts and telegraphs.
Signor Galimberti. has promised to
give 1t a trial between Rome and Ma
Piles, and people I'm Rome are anxiously
desirous not to be forestalled by other
countries In its application.
The new mailbag is very light
metal box, provided with wheels run
ming On an aerial railway of its own at
a speed ten times greater than that OF
an American express train and con-
veying letters from one city to another
In minimum of time and at great
saving of money. This is effected by
placing high iron poles at convenient
distance from each other all along the
line on which the metal box or vehicle
Is to travel. The poles are connected
at the top by a series of steel wires, on
which the postal vehicle is to run, pro-
PEELED by electricity.
Four wires are necessary to set the
vehicle going, two performing the serv-
Ice of rails on which the wheels move
and the other two supporting the mini
ature postal tramcar in its progress. A
vehicle starts every five minutes from
the upper story of central postofiice
with its freight of letters, newspapers
and other dispatches and stops either
NJ tlit tbu VI lilt NHV vi uN uh
mediate station, according to the cleo
trio momentum which it will have re-
ceived II 1t Is intended to reach the
final station, say Naples from Rome, 1t
will travel on an upper group of four
wires; II II is meant to deliver its con
tents at an intermediate town or vii.
lage, IL will move on a lower group Of
wires In order that on Its arrival at the
place of destination 1t may not block
the way to other vehicles.
Each group of wires will be double
one for the outward progress Of the
vehicle and the other for its return
voyage From each postal station ON
the main line the other poles and other
wires will branch off to the surround
ing towns and villages. The electric
current, having power of from 5000
to 5000 volts, will be interrupted short
ly before the arrival of the vehicle at
the place of delivery. All this will
save time, as the post will dispense
with the railway and it's time tables,
and its speed will nearly rival that Of
Tic ttitSIdpu. " HI DC SANSi ny
the way in which the letters are auto
matcally collected and delivered.
For the collection high, hollow iron
columns are to be raised in different
parts Of the city, connected with each
other at the summit and with the up
per story of the central postotfice by
means of the usual steel wires. Let
ters are posted into a slit at the base
Of the column, where an automatic ap-
paratus will stamp them and send
them up to the top to await the boxes
which start at short intervals from the
central office, make the round Of the
columns, receiving the letters on the
way, returning with their freight to the
Office, where employees will sort them
and place them for transmission on the
interurban wires.
Other dispatch boxes with the letters
arriving from other towns and ready
for delivery will leave the central Office
and stop at each column automatically,
pouring into it their contents, to be re-
ceived by letter carriers at its base.
Ills Will cNlNChtiy uiSpChSC Win thC
service of a good number of postoffice
employees.
The foregoing are the broad outlines
of this somewhat complicated scheme
of Count Piscicelli Taeggi, who natu-
rally declines to enter into further de-
tails before 1t is fully tested and adopt.
ed. Whether it will succeed or not,
whether the aerial vehicles will be
able to Withstand the effects of snow
and strong wind or brave the attempts
of evildoers wishing to obtain posses.
sion of the contents of the boxes on
the way are open questions which
time and experience will solve. The
idea is started 1t may bear fruit at
once or be improved upon, because
nothing seems impossible in this age
of scientific application of the forces
of nature.
New Head For United states Patents.
A change has recently been made in
the form Of certificate for patents
which was designed by the bureau Of
engraving and printing some months
ago and was submitted to the commits.
sioner Of patents, who suggested some
changes therein and the new form is,
1vy hi