The Washington times., 1914-02-22
Postoffice Department Is Inter-
ested in Rapid Transit Sys-
fem Planned by Mt. Vernon,
N. Y, Man.
Tall Steel Poles Will WhirI
ProiectiIes, Containing Pas
sengers, at Rate of 500
Miles an Hour.

From Washington to New York in
30 minutes, To the balmy climes of
Florida in an hour! A spin through the
air at the rate of something like 500
miles an hour This is the latest hope
that scientists are holding out as prob
ability in the line Of transportation.
1t has only been a few years since the
commercial possib 'lities of the airship
were recognized and serious experiment
tation toward this end was begun. Now,
even before this form of air craft has
reached perfection. an inventor has
come forth with a mechanical device
that he processes will regulate the mono
plane and bplane, the express train, and
other forms of rapid travel to the dis
card along with the antiquated stage
coach.
The latest conveyance is a huge steel
cylinder which As shot by electricity
through the ether like a gigantic pro-
iectile. 1t sounds even more incred BILE
than did the first claim made for the
airship. but if the plans of Emile Bache-
let materiaIiZe il will be the next step
in rapid transit and within year or
two residents of this city may conduct
business in this city and dwell in the
North or South as the eXigencies of the
seasons may dictate.
Postal Heads Interested.
In a small frame laboratory at Mt.
Vernon, n. Y, NJ. Bachelet, a French
inventor, has been working for years at
his device. The world knew nothing of
this labor, Or the object he was endeav-
oring to achieve, until representatives
of the Postoffice Department went from
this city several days ago to inspect the
invention and pass upon Its poss bilities
as a means of transporting mails to all
NJ 10 fry In rhSft tftrfS m
for fast trains.
The Bachelet invention appears to
defy all laws of science. 1t is con-
structed on the theory of neutralizing
the laws of gravity. Bachelet CROP
ing about in the realm of electrical
phenomena several years ago. ex-
amined carefully Foucault and Eddy
currents. forces heretofore regarded
as useless as far as adaptation to
human needs is concerned.
He found that they had a peculiar
quality which prevented their absorp-
ton by aluminium. This was enough.
force as the propelling power for his
levitating railway. which may prove
the greatest invention Of the age.
Posts Serve As Guides.
There will be no network of steel
rails to guide the carriages in which
the passengers will travel. Instead.
tobS luC SoOhiis, VIII pc CIcSt-
ed tall steel poles. similar to trolley
poles, above which. with no apparent
means to hold them in their courses
will whirI the shining projecticles.
whisking along at 500 miles an hour.
Bacheiet is a middle aged, medium
sized man, whose one interest in. life is
the successful introduction to the
world of this child of his brain. In
his long, low shop at Mt Vernon, he
has fitted up an apparatus which per-
) the demonstration of his inven-
ton.
He has erected a forty-foot steel
track on pylons. Beneath the track
are electric coils. AT one end of the
structure rests the cigar-shaped tube.
On the under side of the car are at
tached aluminium plates which come
in contact with the coils. AT inter-
walls along the track are set a series
of solenoids, or metal rings, supplied
with magnetizing currents. To the
would appear simple. 1t is not until
NJ Bachelet explains the manipulation
that its complexity is realized.
Utilizes Contrary Currents.
You see." he explained, after years
Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of them. to
be exact. l think-I found that Eddy
ana Foucault currents. usually consid-
cred a nuisance as electric phenomena,
do not magnetic aluminum-in other
words alum mum fails to absorb them.
AS II failed to absorb them il therefore
exerted force of an unimpressionable
surface against their action. ! found
that by turning these currents through
coils against an aluminium plate the
plate was lifted in the air, the alum
nCm acting as an unyielding surface to
the force of the currents.
That was where ! got the idea that
set me to thinking and which eventually
culmin ated in my idea for the newest
method of transportation. / Immediate
ly reasoned that could any travelling OBJ
ject be sustained free from fr r'ction with
earth it could be accelerated to tre-