New York City used to deliver mail through underground pneumatic tubes. They managed to deliver all sorts, including food using the same tube.
![An image of a woman working on the pneumatic tubes](http://museumfacts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1-58.jpg)
During the 1860s, American inventor, Alfred Ely Beach first proposed the idea of a rapid underground system to beat the traffic congestion on top.
![A sketch of Alfred Ely Beach, inventor of the pneumatic tubes](http://museumfacts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1-59-182x300.jpg)