Questions and Answers (Q&A) Forgotten Chicago Forum
Have a question about a specific element in Chicago's history? Ask Away!
Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
kiernansanders
()
Date: October 28, 2011 05:53AM
I was crossing the street in front of the parking garage by Union Station today when I noticed a weird manhole I've never seen before... it said "C P P T Co." across it, and I can't think of any other place I've seen a manhole like that in the city. Does anyone have any idea what it's from or what the initials mean? My curiosity is killing me!
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: October 29, 2011 06:52PM
Nice find! CPPT Co. was the Chicago Postal Pneumatic Tube Company. There were about 20 miles of underground pneumatic tubes that moved mail from the central post office to the branch offices and substations around town starting in the early 1900s. CPPT was contracted to build and maintain the system for the Post Office Department (there were similar companies doing the same in the other major cities). Its efficiency was already in question by 1920 (if a carrier got stuck in a tube mid-route, the street had to be torn up to retrieve it) and the dying system was put out of commission nation-wide in 1953.
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
kiernansanders
()
Date: October 30, 2011 01:31PM
Oh wow! That is really cool. I don't think that I've heard of that in Chicago before! Thanks for the info!
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: October 30, 2011 02:17PM
Here's a photo from 1906 of the tube room under the main post office:
[url=http://www.library.illinois.edu/contentdm/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/chicago&CISOPTR=280&CISOBOX=1&REC=1]Chicago Postal Pneumatic Tube[/url]
In the foreground, the things that look like artillery shells are the mail carriers.
[url=http://www.library.illinois.edu/contentdm/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/chicago&CISOPTR=280&CISOBOX=1&REC=1]Chicago Postal Pneumatic Tube[/url]
In the foreground, the things that look like artillery shells are the mail carriers.
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
222psm
()
Date: October 31, 2011 11:14AM
Wow, never knew such a system ever existed very cool, I wonder what lurks under this manhole cover today? I love those shows like Cities of the Underworld, and Off Limits that take you to these little seen places. Wish they do one on Chicago!
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
daveg
()
Date: October 31, 2011 12:47PM
Never would have guessed such a thing existed. The photo and story line was very interesting. Thanks for posting.
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: November 02, 2011 08:22PM
So was this just buried beneath the streets (much like what was done in London for pneumatic/hydraulic systems, which provided power for lifts, etc) or did it run in part in the freight tunnel system?
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
kiernansanders
()
Date: November 02, 2011 11:10PM
Yes, this is all very interesting information. Thanks to everyone who has shared! I can't wait to research this more. I wonder if there are any books about it that have been published? and, I would guess that the system was just buried under the streets, davey7. The freight tunnels didn't really have room for more tunnel inside them, and the photo link posted above by WayOutWardell says that the longest line was between the Post Office and the stockyards - far longer than the freight tunnels run! It wouldn't have made sense to dig down 40 feet to continue just an 18-in diameter pipe all the way to the stockyards!
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: November 02, 2011 11:49PM
Can't say for certain, but I'd guess that at least some of the route might have been built in tandem as much as possible and share some rights-of-way. Some of the early bids for construction mention excavation and tunneling, but the project was on a very tight budget. However, the tubes extended beyond the range of the tunnel system so I assume there had to be digging for the sole purpose of tube installation. The tunnels and the tubes went into service around the same time, 1904-'06.
What's interesting is that, for a short time, the Illinois Tunnel Company ran a mail delivery service as well, which could handle a lot more mail than the tubes. In 1907, the tunnels took on a portion of the CPPT route when the tubes that ran under the river were damaged.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2011 11:52PM by WayOutWardell.
What's interesting is that, for a short time, the Illinois Tunnel Company ran a mail delivery service as well, which could handle a lot more mail than the tubes. In 1907, the tunnels took on a portion of the CPPT route when the tubes that ran under the river were damaged.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2011 11:52PM by WayOutWardell.
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: November 03, 2011 03:56PM
This is totally fascinating. I had no idea this had been here (though not surprised).
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: November 05, 2011 05:18PM
Two of the interesting drawbacks to the mail tube system that I meant to mention above:
-the mail carriers couldn't handle anything big (oversized envelopes or parcel post), and they could only carry five pounds of mail each.
-using the tubes to send mail to the railroad stations caused the mail to be sorted twice, thus negating the speed of tube delivery. The mail would be sorted at the post office and sent to the station by tube, then sorted again at the station based on the railroad's schedule and destinations. The post office found it more efficient to 'final sort' it there and then move it all to the station by truck in one delivery.
If you have a photo of the manhole cover, I'd like to see it!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2011 05:22PM by WayOutWardell.
-the mail carriers couldn't handle anything big (oversized envelopes or parcel post), and they could only carry five pounds of mail each.
-using the tubes to send mail to the railroad stations caused the mail to be sorted twice, thus negating the speed of tube delivery. The mail would be sorted at the post office and sent to the station by tube, then sorted again at the station based on the railroad's schedule and destinations. The post office found it more efficient to 'final sort' it there and then move it all to the station by truck in one delivery.
If you have a photo of the manhole cover, I'd like to see it!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2011 05:22PM by WayOutWardell.
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: January 19, 2016 11:48PM
kiernansanders Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, this is all very interesting information.
> Thanks to everyone who has shared! I can't wait to
> research this more. I wonder if there are any
> books about it that have been published? and, I
> would guess that the system was just buried under
> the streets, davey7. The freight tunnels didn't
> really have room for more tunnel inside them, and
> the photo link posted above by WayOutWardell says
> that the longest line was between the Post Office
> and the stockyards - far longer than the freight
> tunnels run! It wouldn't have made sense to dig
> down 40 feet to continue just an 18-in diameter
> pipe all the way to the stockyards!
Another thing was that the Tunnel Co. had attempted to extend to the Stockyards, and kept encountering gas, so they abandoned the attempt.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, this is all very interesting information.
> Thanks to everyone who has shared! I can't wait to
> research this more. I wonder if there are any
> books about it that have been published? and, I
> would guess that the system was just buried under
> the streets, davey7. The freight tunnels didn't
> really have room for more tunnel inside them, and
> the photo link posted above by WayOutWardell says
> that the longest line was between the Post Office
> and the stockyards - far longer than the freight
> tunnels run! It wouldn't have made sense to dig
> down 40 feet to continue just an 18-in diameter
> pipe all the way to the stockyards!
Another thing was that the Tunnel Co. had attempted to extend to the Stockyards, and kept encountering gas, so they abandoned the attempt.
Re: Weird Manhole Cover
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: February 07, 2016 06:10AM
Oh, and originally the operators were going to use steam to propel the carriers throught the tubes, but that resulted in damp mail!
