Pneumatic Mail Carried Living Cat

On October 7, 1897, the New York City Post Office inaugurated a 3,750-foot pneumatic mail line between Park Row and the Produce Exchange. After sending a ceremonial dispatch containing a Bible, the Constitution, and other documents, postal workers placed a live black cat inside a canister and shot it through the twisting tube. The cat arrived dazed but unharmed, then attempted to run before workers secured it in a waiting basket. The network eventually grew to 27 miles, carried up to 95,000 letters daily, and remained in operation until 1953.

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