Year: 1871

\ TRAVELLING SIDEWALK j. the latest
and most curious Of the various devices for
securing rapid transit which have been
called forth by the imperative demand in


large cities for some means Of travelling
quickly from point to point The inventor


of this novel design Is Albert Spear, and
MS plan c0ntcmplates a moving sidewalk,


which shall be IN perpetual motion carry


ng pedestrians at the rate OF 10 miles an


hour. q speed which they can increase by
their whole power Of independent locomo-
ti0n. II IS proposed TO have q series of
pillars along the outer verge of the curb
stones. rising 70 the hight of the second
story Of ordinary buildings. The space
between the tops of the pillars and the
buildings adjacent Is TO be q sidewalk, one
half Of which Is TO be movable and the
other half stationary. This i to be
reached at every corner 10y q stairway. On
the inner or stationary walk pedestrians
can pass back and forth at their leisure,
entering the stores and offices, which might
then occupy the second story OF the build


ing, and be entered Immediately from the
street. The other half o. the walk, made
Of q sort of lattice work and moving on
small trucks which are beneath the surface
and altogether concealed from view, is to
be propelled at the rate Of 10 miles an
hour by engines beneath the surface of the
ground at such intervals as may be neces-
sarv to secure the requisite power. The
sidewalk Is to be moved bP friction rollers,
worked upon by shafts which pass up
through the upright pillars, aud on one
side Of the street passes up and on the
other side down, continually, night and
day. On this moving roadway pedestri-
ans may stand or occupy the numerous
chairs and settees provided, and be trav-
cling toward their destination aC the rate
of 10 miles an hour. or, If 50 inclined, can
walk al full speed in the same direction,
thereby adding four or five miles an hour
to their rate of progress. The most inge-
nious part Of the whole c0ntriyance is the
device for getting on and of this moving
pathway. The pedestrian mounts to the
stationary walk. aud then, if he were to
step from this to the moving one, he would
of course be suddenly foored. To prevent
such d catastrophe there Is q series of seats
ingeniousIy contrived TO move partly on
the movable and partly on the stationary
walk These are stopped by applying a
brake, which releases them from the NOV
ing platform and allows them to run on
their own trucks on the stationary one,
where they are readily stopped. The
passenger takes his seat, the conductor
takes his fare, the brake Is reversed, and
Immediately the seat moves on, and the
traveller can then leave it without the risk
Of breaking his neck. 1t is said that
several competent engineers have examin-
cd into this curious and novel plan, and
pronounce 1t entirely feasible and far less
expensive than any that has been broached
before for carrying citizens rapidly up and
down town, or back aud forth between
distant points. The machinery viii work
with very little noise, and that will be
continuous and therefore scarcely noticea-
Die; there will be no danger of accident,


and the contrivance can be put up in any


street, long OF short, where it may be re-


,uired. 1t is said that an attempt is to


-ade very soon in New York to demon