A MAIL CATCHER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 9

A MAIL CATCHER.

V- .; ——-« ——TT ' TRUE AT LAMBTON STATION. / For- soma timbV past tho officials 'of the General Post Office and the Railway authorities" We been considering the matter of devising some raeshs to'pick np the mails at tho various <fi»g' stations'. along :the , Main Trunk, and other: lines, .without having to pull un. Yesterday afternoon, a trial was made at. the -rear ,of .the Railway Department's pffiMs ; of the system, of nuil-catehinj in vogue jn'Queensland and the "United Staiea. The device is simplicity itself. A post is erected,about fiTe feet airay from thi track, and from a -bracket , that points towards the line is suspended two curved pieces of band steel,, about two feet in length, helc together above by a collar, the strain ol which' makes a.: strong, spring of tho steel loot below. Into this loop is forced a 12-incl iron ring, to'which tho mail-bag is tied.'Thi other.part'of'the apparatus is affixed to■ tin mail'van. It merely consists of a leverVpro jecting a couule .01 feet from the van) 01 the end .'of 'wllich-is the arrow arraugemem I that, as . tho train travels, ' catches in th< ring and drags it from the.spring loop. •At yesterday's trial it" was found aft firs that the post was a little too far from thi . track to absolutely.. ensure that -the arrov would catch the ring, but after it was sbiftei 'an inch or two the apparatus worked wel at different speeds, though at a twonty-mili sneed the bag was rather violently treated Having been "caught" in the manner de scribed, the mail-bag is, of course, take] through the window Kjr the' postal officials and its contents are rorted during the jour ney. It is probable that thiß system of mail catching at flag stations b t v oxpress train which include a mail van will bo adopted b; the Railway Department. : yesterday's trial took place in tho presenc of Elessrs., "Wi R., Morris (acting-secretary 0 tho' Post and Telegraph Department) Dall (Inspector of Post . Offices), F. "V Waters (acting-assistant . .secretary), J. C Williamson (acting-chief clerk ), J. A Hutton (Chief Postmaster at Wellington), W Gannaway . (Assistant Postmaster), am Messrs. Beattio and M'Villy, of tho Railwa, Department. ■