Pneumatic technology was a great idea that went right down the tubes — and became a huge international success.

Essentially, the system worked like a blowpipe. But instead of shooting poison darts, it used compressed air to fire messages and small objects down much longer pipes, to connect various areas of very large buildings, or to link several separate structures.

In London, England during 1853, pneumatic tubes were first used to connect the London Stock Exchange with the city’s main telegraph station which could get stock prices much faster, then telegraph them to the Exchange’s customers, without relying on runners to carry messages between the buildings.

By 1880, the city had an underground network of tubes spanning more than 34 kilometres (21 miles). It used metal canisters just barely smaller than the tubes, to carry everything from cash and documents to fresh fish in need of quick delivery.

Soon, the technology spread around the world and was used by banks, post offices, and large stores. Most cities had an elaborate labyrinth of underground piping, unseen and six times faster than conventional delivery.

In the 1920s, for example, the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways laid a joint system of pneumatic tubing to connect four offices with Union Station and the Royal York Hotel. Two Toronto newspapers, the Star and Telegraph, added to the network.

Though lots of pneumatic transit has been........

© Sarnia Observer