Paris pneumatic post

Last updated
A message container being inserted into the network in 1873 Telegrapheatmospherique.png
A message container being inserted into the network in 1873
The network's steam-driven compressors and vacuum pumps, 1891 T5- d521 - Fig. 426. -- usine a vapeur de l'Hotel des postes.png
The network's steam-driven compressors and vacuum pumps, 1891

The Paris pneumatic post was a pneumatic tube message-carrying service that operated in the French capital from 1866. It was established because of the popularity of the electric telegraph in the city which had led to the signal cables becoming overloaded and messages being sent by road. The pneumatic system allowed the telegraph companies to send messages underground through sealed lines laid in the Paris sewers, bypassing any traffic on the roads above. The network was taken into public ownership in 1879, under the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, and opened to messages sent by the general public. Messages continued to be considered officially as telegrams and for a fixed cost users could write a message on a "petit bleu" form to be sent anywhere in the city. After arriving at the office nearest the recipient it would be taken to their address by a courier.

Contents

Originally driven by steam-powered vacuum pumps and compressors the network was modernised to electricity-driven machinery from 1927. The Paris pneumatic post reached its greatest extent in 1934 with 427 kilometres (265 mi) of pneumatic pipes and 130 offices in service. The number of messages sent peaked in 1945 at 30 million. Budget restrictions from 1945 hampered the network as maintenance and upgrades were cut. With declining usage the network was closed in 1984. A parallel system operated for official purposes and connected several government buildings. Part of this network, connecting the senate, national assembly and officers of the Journal Officiel de la République Française , survived in use until 2004.

History

Beginnings

Extent of the pneumatic post in 1868 PneumaticParis1868.svg
Extent of the pneumatic post in 1868
Extent of the network in 1873, showing additional spurs and polygonal networks added onto the original core network La Nature - 1873 - Telegraphie athmospherique - Reseau pneumatique parisien - p197.png
Extent of the network in 1873, showing additional spurs and polygonal networks added onto the original core network

The use of electrical telegraphy in Paris rose rapidly in the period of the Second French Empire, from 17 stations in 1851 to 2,200 in 1867. [1] The telegraph lines became overloaded and the operating companies had to resort to sending messages by carriage between the two major telegraph stations on the Rue de Grenelle and the Place de la Bourse, with messages sometimes delayed by road traffic. [2] As early as 1853 a pneumatic tube message system was installed by Josiah Latimer Clark to link the London Stock Exchange with the offices of the Electric Telegraph Company. [3] Tests of a pneumatic message-carrying system were made by Ambroise Ador in Paris' Parc Monceau in 1852 and further tests were made by Antoine Galy-Cazalat  [ fr ] in 1854. [4] [5]

In December 1866 the first line of a pneumatic messaging service was installed between the offices of the Central Télégraphique in Rue Feydeau and Le Grand Hotel in Boulevard des Capucines, a distance of 1.05 kilometres (0.65 mi). The messages were carried in containers within a steel tube of 65 millimetres (2.6 in) diameter, buried 1 metre (3.3 ft) below ground. [3] [6] [7] Messages from hotel guests were transported through the 1,060-metre (3,480 ft) long tube to the telegraph office from where they could be transmitted onwards. The air was compressed not by motorised means but by the pressure of 15 metres (49 ft) head of water held in reservoirs. A pressure of 2 standard atmospheres (200 kPa) was capable of being generated, which allowed a cylinder 5.5 inches (14 cm) long and carrying 40 messages to be transmitted in 60–80 seconds. A reservoir at either end of the line allowed for messages to be sent in both directions. [8]

The Grand Hotel line was extended in 1867 to form a six station "hexagon" incorporating the telegraph offices at the Place de la Bourse and Rue de Grenelle. [3] [9] The other stations on the route were at the Place du Théâtre-Français, Rue des Saints-Pères and Rue Boissy-d'Anglas. [3] [6] This network utilised the same 65 millimetres (2.6 in) tubes of the Grand Hotel line and permitted curves of 5–20 metres (16–66 ft) radius. [2] A "train" of message containers took 12 minutes to complete a full clockwise circuit of the network. [2] The tubes were laid in the Paris sewers, reducing the need for new trenches and allowing ready access for repairs and maintenance. [9] [10]

In the following decades additional polygonal circuits were added to the original hexagon, doubling it in size by 1872 – though the circuits remained within the area of the Wall of the Ferme générale. [3] [11]

Opening to the public

Extent of network in 1888 within the Wall of the Ferme generale T5- d520 - Fig. 425. -- Reseau pneumatique de Paris.png
Extent of network in 1888 within the Wall of the Ferme générale

On 5 February 1879 the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs was formed bringing together the two services, previously under the control of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of the Interior respectively. The Ministry opened the use of the network to the public from 1 May that year. [9] The technical aspects of the pneumatic post were maintained by the telegraphy department of the ministry while the operational aspects were under the post office department. [12]

A pneumatic post petit bleu from 1884 1884 telegraph form of France.jpg
A pneumatic post petit bleu from 1884

Officially messages sent on the pneumatic network were considered to be telegrams. However, unlike telegrams the speed of transmission was not affected by the length of the message. In addition the cost to the user was not linked to length, except that each message had to be written on pre-franked forms, while telegrams were charged per word. The pneumatic message forms were known as "petits bleus" (small blues) for their size and colour. The forms were posted in small boxes attached to post boxes, left at telegraph counters or in special boxes at the rear of trams (which were emptied at the tram terminals). The network would carry the message to the station closest to the recipient from where it would be delivered by courier. [13] The couriers, some as young as 14, delivered the messages by foot and cycle with mopeds being used from 1930. [14] To pass between pneumatic networks the message was taken from its container, time stamped and inserted into the next tube. It was therefore possible to determine the route each message had taken by examining the time stamps. [13]

In 1881 the decision was taken to extend coverage across the entire city by a four-phase expansion of the network. By February 1882 the 16th arrondissement and parts of the 17th and 18th were incorporated. By 1 April 1883 the remainder of the 17th and 18th arrondissements and part of the 19th were incorporated. By 1 February 1884 the remainder of the 19th arrondissement and the 12th and 20th were incorporated. By 15 December 1884 the rest of the city (15th, 13th, 14th arrondissements) were incorporated. [3]

The pneumatic messages travelled at a speed of around 24 kilometres per hour (15 mph), driven by high and low air pressures provided by eight ateliers de force motrice (motive power workshops) including those at Breteuil, Forest, Valmy, Poliveau, Saint-Sabin, Lauriston and Pajol. [15] [16] Coverage was extended to parts of Seine and Seine-et-Oise in 1907 without extending the pneumatic network. Cycle couriers carried the messages to these suburbs from the existing stations. [17]

Modernisation

The pneumatic network was extended to the suburbs for the first and only time in 1914 when an extension was made to Neuilly. [3] [6] Further extensions outside the city limits were planned but were cancelled with the outbreak of the First World War. [3]

The network reached its greatest extent in 1934 with 427 kilometres (265 mi) of pneumatic pipes and 130 offices in service. On average around 10 million messages a year were delivered, peaking at 30 million in 1945. [6] Complaints were made about smoke from the workshops and from 1926 flue gas scrubber devices were installed. These were expensive to run and maintain and so the workshops were converted to run on electricity from 1927. The first to be converted was Grenelle, which had a 30 horsepower (22 kW) electric motor installed. The workshops received 2-4 electric motors with a total average power at each station of 150 horsepower (110 kW). The motors drove compressors that forced air into the tubes and vacuum pumps that removed it. [18]

Louis Gaillard, a recent graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications, was placed in charge of the workshops in 1932. [19] A few months later he was placed in charge of the entire network, a position he held until 1974. [16] [20] He became a driving force for the modernisation of the network. He ensured the continuation of the electrification programme, which completed in 1942 with the electrification of the Hôtel des Postes station. At completion the network had motors totalling 2,400 horsepower (1,800 kW), of which around 1,400 horsepower (1,000 kW) would be applied at any one time with the remaining units in reserve or maintenance. [15] [18] Gaillard also pioneered a system of automatic sorting of messages by address. [6]

Decline

Compressor and vacuum units of the network, 1984 Groupes surpresseurs-depresseurs a Paris-Central DSCN3056.jpg
Compressor and vacuum units of the network, 1984

Budgetary restrictions in 1945 led to a slow down in the modernisation programme and a reduction in routine maintenance and upgrade work. By 1966 57% of the 80 millimetres (3.1 in) pneumatic tubes and 65% of the 65 millimetres (2.6 in) tubes were worn which led to an increase in blockages. In 1970 there were 270 blockages on the network that required workmen to enter the sewers to unblock the tubes. The price of a pneumatic message relative to a postal letter also increased from around 3:1 in 1902 to 5:1 in 1957 and 7.8:1 in 1975, reducing the popularity of the method. The increasing use of telephone and telex systems also reduced the attractiveness of the pneumatic message. [6]

The use of the network declined to 4 million messages sent in 1960; 2.7 million in 1972 and just 648,000 in 1982. [21] The original metal tubes were gradually replaced by PVC from 1965. This reduced the vulnerability of the network to oxidation and offered less resistance to the message containers, reducing noise. By 1970 there were 18 kilometres (11 mi) of PVC tubes in service. [16]

The pneumatic network was closed by the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs at 5 pm on 30 March 1984. [6] :148 [22] The closure followed the introduction of two new services by the ministry: Postéclair, a public fax system, and Postexpress, a rapid parcel delivery network in Paris. Most employees of the pneumatic post were redeployed into Postexpress. [23]

Government network

Layout of official government lines in 1967 Schema du reseau postal pneumatique Officiel (Paris) DSCN3052.jpg
Layout of official government lines in 1967
A message terminal of the government network at Paris-Central in 1987 Appareil pneumatique postal Fortin-Hermann a Paris-Central en 1987.jpg
A message terminal of the government network at Paris-Central in 1987

A separate government network of pneumatic lines also existed and connected the Senate, National Assembly and the Journal Officiel de la République Française . This line was used to carry shorthand notes of parliamentary proceedings to the Journal where they were typed and sent back for review by the parliamentary stenographers. After approval the text was returned to the Journal for publication, the entire process taking around three days. [24]

Other lines connected other government offices. [3] The underground lines were valued for their security (no outside traffic was carried so the authenticity of each communication was assured) and ability to maintain communications if the streets were blocked by civil disturbance. [25] However the network failed at a critical time in the debate of a Finance Bill in the 1940s or 50s, due to the flooding of the sewers. [24] With the advent of fax and email communication the network was gradually dismantled, the dedicated route from the senate and national assembly to the Journal was the last to be decommissioned, being taken out of service in 2004. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pneumatic tube</span> Compressed air or vacuum transport system

Pneumatic tubes are systems that propel cylindrical containers through networks of tubes by compressed air or by partial vacuum. They are used for transporting solid objects, as opposed to conventional pipelines which transport fluids. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pneumatic tube networks gained acceptance in offices that needed to transport small, urgent packages, such as mail, other paperwork, or money, over relatively short distances, within a building or, at most, within a city. Some installations became quite complex, but have mostly been superseded. However, they have been further developed in the 21st century in places such as hospitals, to send blood samples and the like to clinical laboratories for analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th arrondissement of Paris</span> Municipal arrondissement in Île-de-France, France

The 14th arrondissement of Paris, officially named arrondissement de l'Observatoire, is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. It is situated on the left bank of the River Seine, containing most of the Montparnasse district. Although today Montparnasse is best known for its skyscraper, Tour Montparnasse, as well as its major railway terminus, Gare Montparnasse, these are both actually located (partly) in the neighbouring 15th arrondissement. The district has traditionally been home to many artists as well as a Breton community, arrived at the beginning of the 20th century upon the creation of the Montparnasse railway terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Chappe</span> Late 18th-century French inventor

Claude Chappe was a French inventor who in 1792 demonstrated a practical semaphore system that eventually spanned all of France. His system consisted of a series of towers, each within line of sight of others, each supporting a wooden mast with two crossarms on pivots that could be placed in various positions. The operator in a tower moved the arms to a sequence of positions, spelling out text messages in semaphore code. The operator in the next tower read the message through a telescope, then passed it on to the next tower. This was the first practical telecommunications system of the industrial age, and was used until the 1850s when electric telegraph systems replaced it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th arrondissement of Paris</span> Municipal arrondissement in Île-de-France, France

The 7th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as le septième.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15th arrondissement of Paris</span> Municipal arrondissement in Île-de-France, France

The 15th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as le quinzième.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dupleix station</span> Metro station in Paris, France

Dupleix is an elevated station on Line 6 of the Paris Métro in the 15th arrondissement. The track and station form an elevated viaduct in the centre of the Boulevard de Grenelle. It is named after the nearby Rue Dupleix and Place Dupleix, a square commemorating Joseph François Dupleix (1697–1763), marquis of Landrecies and Paris, an administrator and coloniser of India. The station was the location of the Barrière de Grenelle, a gate built for the collection of taxation as part of the Wall of the Farmers-General; the gate was built between 1784 and 1788 before it was demolished in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Michels station</span> Metro station in Paris, France

Charles Michels is a station on Line 10 of the Paris Métro. It is located in the 15th arrondissement.

Postal codes were introduced in France in 1964, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. They were updated to use the current 5 digit system in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of National Education (France)</span> Government ministry in France

The Ministry of National Education and Youth, or simply Ministry of National Education, as the title has changed several times in the course of the Fifth Republic, is the cabinet member in the Government of France who oversees the country's public educational system and supervises agreements and authorisations for private teaching organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haussmann's renovation of Paris</span> Vast public works programme commissioned by Emperor Napoléon III between 1853 and 1870

Haussmann's renovation of Paris was a vast public works programme commissioned by French Emperor Napoleon III and directed by his prefect of the Seine, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, between 1853 and 1870. It included the demolition of medieval neighbourhoods that were deemed overcrowded and unhealthy by officials at the time; the building of wide avenues; new parks and squares; the annexation of the suburbs surrounding Paris; and the construction of new sewers, fountains and aqueducts. Haussmann's work was met with fierce opposition, and he was finally dismissed by Napoleon III in 1870; but work on his projects continued until 1927. The street plan and distinctive appearance of the centre of Paris today are largely the result of Haussmann's renovation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Poste (France)</span> Postal service company in France

La Poste is a postal service company in France, operating in Metropolitan France, the five French overseas departments and regions and the overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Under bilateral agreements, La Poste also has responsibility for mail services in Monaco through La Poste Monaco and in Andorra alongside the Spanish company Correos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Baptiste Berlier</span>

Jean-Baptiste Berlier (1841–1911) was a French engineer and inventor who was responsible for the Pneumatic tube postal system of Paris, which operated until as late as 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri Paul Nénot</span> French architect

Henri Paul Nénot was a noted French architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place Beauvau</span>

Place Beauvau is a public square in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, at the intersection of the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, Avenue de Marigny, Rue des Saussaies and Rue de Miromesnil. It is located in the La Madeleine neighbourhood, next to the Élysée Palace.

This article presents the main landmarks in the city of Paris within administrative limits, divided by its 20 arrondissements. Landmarks located in the suburbs of Paris, outside of its administrative limits, while within the metropolitan area are not included in this article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hôtel de Villeroy (Paris, 1st arrondissement)</span>

The hôtel de Villeroy, also the hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon or hôtel de la Poste, is a hôtel particulier, a type of large townhouse of France, at 34 rue des Bourdonnais, 9 rue des Déchargeurs, 17 rue des Halles in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It is a designated monument historique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentemont Abbey</span> Abbey located in Paris, in France

Pentemont Abbey is a set of 18th and 19th-century buildings at the corner of Rue de Grenelle and Rue de Bellechasse in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. The complex had originally been a Cistercian monastery of nuns. The abbey was founded near Beauvais in 1217 and moved to its current site in Paris in 1672 at the behest of King Louis XIV. A reconstruction of the abbey was initiated in 1745 by the Abbess Marie-Catherine Béthisy de Mézières and work was completed in 1783. In the late 18th century, the abbey was one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Paris for daughters of the elite, including two of Thomas Jefferson's. The abbey also provided rooms for ladies of good standing who were in search of rest, including Joséphine de Beauharnais when the case of her separation from her first husband was heard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avenue de Suffren</span>

The Avenue de Suffren is an avenue situated between the 7th and 15th arrondissements of Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rue du Commerce, Paris</span> Street in Paris, France

Rue du Commerce is a street in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

References

Bibliography