The first subway system built in New York City was powered by air. Think those tubes at the bank drive up, only bigger.

Alfred Beach, inventor and Publisher of Scientific American, was the driver of this new-fangled idea. He was inspired by a visit to London, where a similar system had been set up at The Crystal Palace.

But he had a problem: Boss Tweed. Tweed was the corrupt Tammany Hall Democrat that pretty much ran NYC at the time. (If it helps, think of him Tony Rezko in a top hat.) Tweed already had his influence on the existing elevated train/streetcar business, and was not interested in a new shiny underground train creating more work for him. I mean, seriously, do you know how much effort it takes to buy a whole industry?

So Alfred Beach sent out to make a demo unit- in secret. The thought was, if he could reveal the plans publicly, there would be so much public demand that Tweed would have to capitulate and allow the subway to be built.

He raised money and rented out a store front on Broadway Ave. His secret team dug a tunnel one block long. They built a fully working system. Granted, it only went one block. The one working sample car was quite opulent, including elaborate chandeliers and no vagrants or graffiti. It most likely did not smell like urine.

Though his initial plan to get the best of Tweed was a success, his business plan was not so. For one thing, there really wasn’t a way to expand the air pressure concept to great lengths of travel. For another, he got some political blowback from the connected shopowners on Broadway Avenue who didn’t want the disruption of construction.

It was the Great Blizzard of 1888 (mentioned in an earlier post) that finally got New Yorkers thinking about going underground.

The first real NYC Subway opened in 1904, without Beach, who died in 1896.

BTW, the Beach Pneumatic Transit system was mentioned in the movie that first made me aware that sequals suck, Ghostbusters II.

Source: History Channel, then a few wiki articles

Lewis claimed that The Ghostbusters song infringed upon the copyright of “I want a new Drug”.

The case was settled out of court, with Parker paying an undisclosed amount.

In 2001, Parker sued Lewis after Lewis made comments about the fiasco in an episode of “Behind the Music”, back when VH1 used to air programs about music.

Parker claimed that Lewis violated the confidentiality agreement that was signed when the original lawsuit was settled.

Source: Emmett of the Unblinking Eye on the Hugh Hewitt show, who placed Ghostbusters on his list of top 10 ghost movies. (Ghostbusters belongs on almost any top 10 movie list.) Oh, and VH1.com for the assist.

Hugh Hewitt and Huey Lewis, despite similar sounding names, are not known to be the same person, although I have never seen them in the same place at the same time.

Bernie Brillstein. He also managed Gilda Radner and John Belushi, as well as the guy who operated/voiced ALF.

He was also a producer, producing Ghostbusters (1 &2), Happy Gilmore, The Larry Sanders Show, and The Sopranos.

Source: wiki