The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

THE NEW STREET IN SOUTHWARK

Yesterday afternoon the Metropolitan Board of
Works, headed by their chairman, Mr. Thwaites,
formally opened " Southwark-street," the new
avenue which connects the Borough with Black-
friars road, and, by means of Stamford-street, opens
up a wide thoroughfare from London to Westmin-
ster-bridges. The ceremonial was not very im-
posing, but the importance and usefulness of the
event seemed to be highly appreciated by the local
public. A dense crowd waited at the barrier close
to Biackfriars•bridge, and when that had been
thrown down the newly opened-up territory turned
out its inhabitants en tnasse, who crowded at every
corner, and cheered vociferously as the unostenta-
tious procession passed along. Precisely at a quar-
ter past three Mr. Thwaites and his friends, includ-
ing Mr. Layard, M.P., Alderman Finn is, nearly the
whole of the members of the Board of Works, and a
large contingent of Southwark notabilities, arrived
at the Blackfriars barrier, and many were admitted
by the police into the new street, who speedily de-
scended into the Labway, which is the great novelty
of the work. This subway, which is six feet high
at the end of the arch, and twelve feet wide, pre-
sented a very imposing vista as the party proceeded
along it, guided by a double row of lamps on the
ground at each side. The intention of the subway,
which is above the main sewer, is to give access to
the various gas and water pipes which supply the
mains with light and water, without those frequent
tearings up of the pavement which are so well known
as the established nuisances of London. Many of
the visitors, however, who promenaded its entire
length yesterday were struck with the strategic uses
to which such n subterranean passage might be put
in case of a serious street riot; and one gentleman
suggested that it might be made available for a
wide extension of the operations of the Pneumatic
Despatch Company. There is no doubt that a regi-
ment of soldiers fully accoutred might pass from one
end of the subway to the other without the slightest
difficulty, and it. is equally certain that the tubes of
the Pneumatic Despatch Company could find ample
accommodation. There are narrow side passages at
short intervals leading to the various pipes, and all
is as fresh, clean, and airy as could be expected above
ground, The inspection was most satisfactory, and
everyone concurred in thinking that the works had
been executed in the soundest and most durable

manner.
'The history of the new street is brief enough,
and its facts are very creditable to the energy and
perseverance of the Board of Works. For nearly
a quarter of a century the want of a main street
between Blackfriars and London bridges had been
felt and proclaimed, but it was not until Aug. 10,
1857, that the board obtained their act. Negotia
tions for the purchase of the property to be pulled
down occupied a year, and on Oct. 1, 1861, the first
contract, undertaken by Mr. Downs, of Union-street,
Southwark, and his portion of the road—namely,
from High-street, Borough, to the Southwark-
bridge-road—was opened for public traffic in July,
1862. In March, 1863, Mr. Pearson, of Kenaing-
ton•cross, took the second contract, and this having
been completed to Blackfriars-road, permitted the
simple ceremony which took place yesterday. Of
the street above ground there is little to be said.
There is an excellent roadway 70 feet wide, but the
houses on each side are yet to be supplied by an
enterprising public. The site is certainly a noble
one, and first-rate commercial houses would-soon
find tenants, but it unfortunately happens that the
Board has been so economical in its purchases of
property as to leave little or no margin on either
side of the roadway. The little cross streets which
have been cut in two for the new avenue protrude
their jagged ends to the very edge of the pathway,
and there is hardly at any spot along the route space
sufficient for a good roomy house, such as would
be required by a bank or a large mercantile firm.
The little cross streets, however, will have all the
more fresh air, which the inhabitants, judging by

their hilarious demonstrations yesterday, will be
fully able to appreciate. The cost of the new
street has been :—Purehas3 of property, &c.,
£480,012 ; ten per cent. for contingencies,
£27,936 ; sewer, paving, &c., £24,153 ; Mr. Pear.
son's contract, £24,950 ; total, £557,051, being
an excess of £37,627, over the estimated
expenditure. About four hundred houses have
been pulled down for the formation of the street,
and the space cleared, less the roadway, hue been
divided into 200 plots, of which 17 have already
been let. The Alliance Bank of London and Liver-
pool have reared an imposing structure at the
Borough end of the new street, and several other
plots have been let to hop merchants. The total
length of the street is 3,450 feet, and the breadth
from front to front of houses 70 feet.

After the formal opening, which consisted merely
of the knocking down of the barriers in Blackfriars-
road, and the indiscriminate admission of the popu-
lation of the locality, the chairman of the Board of
Works and his friends adjourned to the Bridge-
house Hotel, where Mr. Spencer, the new landlord,
had prepared,an abundant and well-arranged lun-
cheon. In the course of the eveiing Mr. Thwaites
proposed as a toast, Prosperity to the Board of
Works," pointing out that the new street which
they had just opened was one of their most impor-
tant undertakings. It would give a new and wide
avenue for the immense traffic which was always
flowing between London and Westminster-bridges,
and would ultimately carry the traffic clear up to
Vauxhall. The Board had bought its land much
cheaper than any railway company had done, and
had contested every unreasonable claim for com-
pensation. His former connection with the district
made him doubly glad that he had been humbly
instrumental in procuring so great a boon for South-
wark, but he believed that, by the relief it would
afford to the great arteries of trade on the northern
side of the river, it would be a boon to the whole
metropolis. Mr. Thwaites subsequently proposed
" The Health of the Corporation of London," and
bore testimony to the amicable spirit in which its
members had co-operated with the Board of Works
in the exertions of the latter for the improvement
of the metropolis.
After one or two other toasts the company sepa-
rated, the majority having engagements which
called them away early.