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The Pneumatic Subway

Season 9

Alfred Ely Beach had an idea for a pneumatic subway, pulled by a rope of air.

In order to get congestion and filth off the streets of New York, Alfred Ely Beach had an idea for a pneumatic subway, pulled by a rope of air. A giant fan would drive a train through a tunnel, as fast as 10 miles per hour. After gaining the legislature’s approval for an experimental pneumatic tube for packages, Beach began working on a real subway.

AIR DATE 2/17/97

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